Bully in Love
by LEIDEE D
Summary: Maura has been bullied by Jane since their sophomore year in high school. But now as Seniors, what will she do when she finds out the truth behind Jane's behavior towards her? Rating changed to M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys. So, this is a little Rizzles story that was bouncing around in my head and would not leave me alone until I wrote it. My muse was itching so I gave it a scratch. I have some ideas of where I want to go with this, but please let me know if you like it so far. As always... HAPPY READING!**

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**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 1**

Maura Isles was a well respected and put together 17-year old. She earned all A's throughout grade school and was the student every teacher dreamed of having in their classroom. For the past two years, Maura has been attending public high school in Boston. She liked her school. She even liked her teachers. But there was one thing, well one individual that she could not tolerate. Her bully, Jane Rizzoli.

Jane was a trouble maker; she always mouthed off teachers, was sent to the principal's office, and even suspended for a fight or two; and out of all the prospective students in the entire school to pick on, she chose Maura.

Since sophomore year when she started at her new school, Maura has been Jane's target and she could not for the life of her figure out why. Maura considered herself a nice person. She dressed well and never started trouble. In fact, no one besides her teachers seemed to notice Maura, but Jane did. And not in a nice way. Whether it was calling her Maura-the-borea, giving her a shove in the hallway, or shooting spitballs in her hair during class, it all amounted to her experience of hell in high school. What Maura really longed for was a friendship. A companion she could talk to and would understand her and all her weird vices. It was now her Senior year and she knew if she had not found it by now at this school, she never would.

Maura was walking to her first class of the day when suddenly all three of the textbooks she was holding were pushed out of her hands. They thudded heavily on the tiled hallway and Maura looked up, catching a sight she had grown familiar with. Mischievous dark brown eyes.

"Whoops. Sorry about that Bora," Jane snickered, as she continued on her way with a grin on her face.

Maura frowned after her and bent down to retrieve her books. Unfortunately, this was a typical day and for Maura and it was only the beginning. Jane would find another way to bother her. She just didn't know when, where or how.

The day seemed to carry on without incident, mostly because Maura made sure to take a different route from class to class everyday. A little trick she figured out. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Perhaps today was lucky.

Wrong. Her luck had drastically run out during Anatomy class when the teacher split them into partners. Her heart plummeted when the teacher announced her lab partner for the day was Jane. Maura had been lucky not getting stuck with the brunette this past year because a majority of the time Jane either ditched class or was suspended. But not today.

When the teacher told the class to disperse and find their partners, Maura immediately went up to her teacher's desk. "Mr. Brooks?"

"Yes, Maura. What can I do for you?" He smiled pleasantly.

"Would it be an inconvenience if I asked to switch partners with one of the other pairs?"

Mr. Brooks furrowed his brows. "Is there a problem?"

Maura turned from her teacher and her eyes found Jane slouching back comfortably in a chair at a lab table. She had already been looking at Maura. An amused smirk curled her lips. Maura felt slightly angered by the joy this situation had brought to Jane and she turned back to her teacher. "Well, it's Jane, Mr. Brooks. She and I don't really… get along."

"Why Maura… you seem to get along well with everyone. Plus, you are the smartest one in my class and well… I think it will do Ms. Rizzoli some good to be able to work with you. She's… a tad behind in her studies but perhaps a partnership with you will help her out."

"Um… I understand that sir. But I would really prefer someone else… please?"

"Maura, I know she may not be the easiest person to get along with, as you say, but I would really appreciate it if you would work with Jane," Mr. Brooks spoke with finality in his voice.

Never one to argue with a superior, Maura simply nodded. "Yes, Mr. Brooks."

"Fantastic. I'm sure you may learn something from Jane as well." Mr. Brooks stepped away to answer the raised hand of another student.

"I doubt it," Maura mumbled to herself as she shuffled over to the seat next to Jane.

As Maura approached the lab table, Jane casually sat up in her chair and gave Maura a shit-eating grin. "Looks like you're stuck with me today, Bora."

Maura smoothed the back of her dress before she quietly took her seat beside the brunette. She avoided any eye contact with Jane.

Everyone in the classroom was soon settled and the teacher began to give instructions. As Maura opened the textbook and followed along with the teacher, she could still feel Jane's eyes on her. After a few uncomfortable moments, Maura carefully turned towards the other girl.

Jane was indeed unabashedly staring at her. It was not a humorous smirk, nor a look of disgust or disdain… it was a look… she had no words for. But it made her heart thump involuntarily faster. She quickly looked away and tried to focus on the lesson. Why was Jane looking at her that way? Furthermore, why did it stir such a strong reaction within her? After another minute of those intense brown eyes boring a hole into her, she had enough.

"Stop it, please…" she whispered.

"What?"

"You're staring at me."

Jane shrugged. "It's a free country. I can look wherever I want rich girl."

"But you're making me uncomfortable. And if you don't stop I'll…"

"What? Tell on me? Be a narc? Typical."

Maura finally faced the other girl. "Why do you always give me a hard time?"

Jane narrowed her eyebrows in challenge. "Because I can."

"Is there a problem over there, Ms. Isles?" Mr. Brooks interrupted.

Maura tore her eyes from Jane's heated gaze and looked at her teacher. She then realized all eyes in the classroom were suddenly on her and Jane. "Um, no Mr. Brooks. Everything is fine," she replied as her cheeks turned slightly red.

Mr. Brooks nodded and continued the lesson while Jane snorted lightly.

"I don't find that amusing," Maura murmured.

"I do."

"Alright, everyone. You have until the rest of the class to complete your lab," Mr. Brooks announced.

The groups began talking amongst themselves and a light chatter filled the room.

"Your hair looks nice today," Jane commented.

"What?"

"Your hair... it looks nice."

Maura looked at Jane, unsure. Was this one of her tricks? There was no way that Jane would be complimenting her without some kind of undertone. Maura did not even know how to respond. So she said nothing.

"You know I've always wondered…" Jane continued, leaning back in her seat. "Does the carpet match the drapes?" Maura frowned at Jane, confused. Jane only smirked, taking in Maura's expression. "You don't know what I'm asking do you?"

The blonde turned away, not liking at all that she was baffled by the other girl's comment. Maura had always prided herself in knowing everything about anything, but when it came to street smarts and the popular culture of her fellow classmates, she was clueless. Maura picked up her pencil and began filling in the answers for the lab.

A moment later, she felt Jane lean in closer to her. Her body shivered involuntarily at the brunette's proximity. "Do you want to know what I'm asking?" Jane husked.

Maura let out a breath an exasperated breath. "No, I don't."

"I think you do. You're little brow is all wrinkled because you hate that you don't know."

"Will you just let me do the lab? You won't have to do anything just leave me alone."

"Nah. It's too much fun, Bora."

Jane poked Maura in her ribs, causing the blonde to jump in her seat and make a loud squeak noise. Many of the students near their table turned to them with questioning looks. Maura began to heavily blush while Jane discreetly snickered behind her hand.

Maura could not stand another second near this unnerving human being. She abruptly stood from her seat and hurried out of the classroom. Mr. Brooks had called after her, but she did not care. Why should she have to subject herself to this abuse?

Maura ran into the girls' bathroom and went to the sinks, leaning over them to get her emotions together. Jane Rizzoli made her so upset, humiliated, and so many other things that Maura could not describe.

She soon heard the bathroom door open and close. Footsteps shuffled a few feet behind her and a reflection of a person walked into the mirror. Jane. She was standing there in her usual dark jeans, white t-shirt and black hoody.

Maura sighed disappointedly and lowered her eyes. "Why did you follow me in here?"

"I told Mr. Brooks I'd check on you," Jane mischievously smiled.

Maura slowly turned around and faced Jane. The brunette was wearing that annoying smirk. "I don't need to be checked on... least of all by you."

Jane laid a hand across her heart in mock hurt. "Ouch. I only came to make sure you're okay."

Maura sighed heavily, pushed off the counter and began to walk towards the exit, but Jane quickly blocked her path.

"Let me pass," Maura calmly requested.

"What's your hurry? You want to get back to that boring lab and be a good little geek? Have Mr. Brooks kiss your ass some more?"

Maura attempted to ignore Jane's comments and tried to step around again, but the brunette blocked her. Maura glared at Jane.

The brunette smiled. "Is this you angry? I think I like it."

Maura lowered her eyes, no longer able to meet that teasing gaze any longer.

"I'm just trying to get to know you better, Bora."

"Well, I don't want to know you."

Jane regarded her silently for a moment and Maura raised her eyes, wondering what Jane would do next. To her surprise, the brunette stepped aside. "Alright then. Fine," Jane replied.

Maura was hesitant, knowing Jane was a trickster. But she wanted so badly to escape this predicament. The blonde attempted to walk past again and as predicted, Jane hopped in front of her at the last second.

"What is your problem?!" Maura suddenly fumed. "Why can't you leave me alone?!"

Jane let out a small chuckle. "Look Bora. I do what I want, when I want. Got it?"

"But why me?" Maura shrugged questioningly.

Jane took an intimidatingly step closer. "What can I say? You entertain me."

"That doesn't answer my question," Maura defiantly replied. "Why me?! I haven't done anything to you yet you've tormented me for the last two years. Why me?!" Maura was so angry, she had the nerve to actually give Jane a shove to her chest.

Before she knew it, she was forcefully pushed back against a tiled wall. It was so quick it took Maura a second to realize what had just happened. Jane was tightly gripping her biceps, pinning her against the wall. After a moment, Jane let go and slowly placed her hands on wall on either side of Maura's head. The blonde's chest was heaving up in down as panic filled breaths escaped her lungs. She had actually stood up to her bully and now she might have regretted it. Her eyes shifted upward and she met heated dark brown eyes. Dangerous eyes. Jane leaned in closer to her and Maura soon felt the brunette's breath across her cheek. They stood there for a moment, both of them breathing raggedly.

"Why you?" Jane finally spoke in a heavy whisper. "You drive me crazy, Maura… every day of the week. With your dresses that fit you in all the right places… and your tight jeans that you only wear once a week. Every time I see you I just wanna…"

Jane suddenly stopped her words and Maura was panting heavily as her mind rambled a thousand scenarios to fill in the ending of Jane's sentence. Their heavy breathing filled the bathroom as Maura pressed herself further back against the tiled wall. Jane leaned in closer so their faces were only inches apart.

"I torment you?" Jane let out a sardonic chuckle. "You torment me…" Jane growled back.

The brunette's husky voice made Maura's body shiver. She did not understand why her body was reacting this way. She felt hot. Like, physically hot and her heart was thundering in her chest. It was too much. She suddenly shoved the brunette away from her and pushed past Jane, hoping she would not be stopped. She wasn't. Maura escaped the thick tension that had been formed in the bathroom and ran down the empty hall. Tears began to fill her eyes. Maura had never felt so overwhelmed, confused, and scared in all her life. She turned a few corners stopped in another empty corridor, attempting to steady her breathing.

Moments later, she returned to Mr. Brooks class. To Maura's relief, Jane was not sitting at their lab table. Mr. Brooks asked if she was okay and the blonde gave a polite nod before she sat down and continued to finish up her lab. The work was a welcome distraction. Throughout the hour Maura's eyes would once and awhile flicker over to the door, wondering when Jane would return. Before she knew, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jane never came back.

When Maura went home she went through her usual routine. She studiously did her homework at the desk in her bedroom for a good hour and a half. Then went downstairs and had a solo dinner, which was prepared by the Isles' personal chef. Both of her parents were out of town, but this was the norm for Maura. Being alone was something she had gotten accustomed to.

Throughout the evening she thought of the incident in the bathroom with Jane Rizzoli. But she did not fully allow herself to really dwell on it until she was laying bed for the night. She replayed every word, every movement and every breath that had occurred. When Jane had her pinned against the wall, intensely staring into her eyes, Maura had never felt anything more exhilarating in her whole life. There were so many emotions she had seen transpiring in those dark brown eyes. She saw hurt, anguish, fear… but more than anything, want. Maura had never known of anyone that ever wanted her before. It was new and she was not completely sure how she felt about it. Especially, since the source of these confusing feelings was her bully since sophomore year. Maura closed her eyes and remembered when Jane had said she tormented her. That was when the idea suddenly popped in Maura's head. Now that she knew how to torment Jane, maybe it was her turn to get even.

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**A/N: So... what do you think of my first attempt at teenage Rizzles?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am pleased to see all the positive feedback for this story! That only helps me write more! Hello again to my loyal readers and welcome newbies. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.**

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**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 2**

The following morning, Maura walked into her school with the upmost confidence and bounce in her stride. She decided to wear a flowing black skirt that stopped just barely above her knees and a champagne pink blouse. As she made her way over to her locker, she kept a look out for Jane but the brunette never made an appearance. It was odd but Maura did not give it a second thought. Then when lunchtime rolled around and Jane was still a no show, Maura knew something was up.

And Jane's absence continued the next day and the next day after that.

Maura concluded that one of two things was happening. One, Jane was deathly ill and could not come to school or two, Jane was avoiding Maura like the plague. Maura went for the second conclusion and was not happy about that.

So, Jane was able to bully her for two years straight and now she was the one who got to hide from her problems? Maura refused to let that fly. During her Student Aide period, working in the school office, the blonde went through the student files in the computer and looked up Jane's address. A small smile played on her lips as she knew Jane would never expect this. She took the liberty to check Jane's attendance for the week. The first day was marked as a sick day, but the last two days were marked as absent, which means Jane more than likely ditched.

After school Maura went to each of Jane's classes and claimed that the brunette asked for her to pick up any make up work she may need. This way Maura would have an excuse for showing up at Jane's home. Maura then attended the first Student Council meeting of the year and there was a lot to go over. By the time she was out it was nearly 4pm.

Now, to put her plan into action. Maura had her driver take her to Jane's address. The drive took about fifteen minutes until they reached the neighborhood. Maura could not deny that it was fairly nice. Suburban with an edge. She noticed a few kids in their front yards playing basketball or tag. Middle class families who were utterly content with their lives. The driver came to a stop in front of a welcoming two story home with a well-cared for front lawn. It was nice and actually looked normal. Not the place she expected her bully to live.

Maura walked up the small stoop and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" She heard a voice yell. Sounded like Jane.

When the door opened, she saw that it was indeed Jane and she watched in delight as the color drained from the brunette's face upon seeing her.

Maura smiled sweetly at Jane who now stood frozen to the spot. Her dark brown eyes widened in shock and panic.

"Hello, Jane," Maura softly greeted.

Jane attempted to speak but no words would formulate from her mouth.

Maura chuckled lightly in amusement. "Are you okay?" She asked in mock concern.

Jane finally got her brain to function and she snapped out of her stupor. "Wha…" Jane quickly glanced back into her house over her shoulder and then back at Maura. "What are _you _doing here?" she demanded, closing the door a little further so Maura could not be seen.

Maura gave an innocent shrug. "Well, I haven't seen you around school all week. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Jane looked at her as if she had grown a third head, but Maura was not discouraged.

"Oh, and I brought your make up work for you," she continued, holding up a few papers.

"Janey, who's at the door?" the voice of an older woman asked from somewhere inside the house.

"Nobody ma!" Jane hollered back.

"You're not going to introduce me?"

Jane turned back to Maura with a scowl. "You need to leave," Jane warned.

"Why should I?" Maura taunted.

"Because you-"

"Janey, who are you talking to?"

The brunette was suddenly cut off by her mother, Angela Rizzoli, who pulled the door open further. "Oh, hello. Are you one of Jane's friends?"

Maura caught the look of apprehension on Jane's face and smiled before shifting her gaze to the older woman.

"Yes. I just stopped by to drop off some make up work from school. I'm Maura. Maura Isles."

"You're Maura?" Angela chimed with excitement.

"Mom..." Jane muttered, running a nervous hand through her hair.

"You've heard of me?" Maura questioned with astonishment on her face.

"Have I? Jane mentions you all the time. Maura is so smart, Maura is so pretty..."

"Mom!" Jane barked, trying to stop her impending blush.

Maura bit her bottom lip, trying to withhold her amusement. But at the same time she was flattered and confused at the same time.

"Well, it's true," Angela shot back. "And where are your manners, Janey? Invite the girl inside for God's sake. Come in, Maura."

Jane sighed heavily and moved aside along with her mother, allowing Maura to come in.

"Thank you."

As soon as Maura stepped inside her nose was assaulted by the most delicious smells of Italian dishes that made her empty stomach growl. She glanced around briefly and was surprised by how warm and welcoming the home was. She turned back towards Jane and Angela.

"At least I finally get to meet the mysterious Maura," Angela continued. "For a while I thought you didn't exist. I always wondered why Jane never brought you over."

Maura tossed a look Jane's way and the brunette looked as though she wanted to crawl into a dark hole and disappear from the world. Maura was enjoying how uncomfortable Jane was becoming. "Well, I have a few after school clubs and activities. It tends to take away from my social time."

"That's a shame. But it's great that you're involved with your school. I've always tried to get Jane to do that kind of stuff but she's stubborn as a mule."

"I'm right here, Mom."

Angela waved her off. "So, Maura. If you're not doing anything, would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Well-"

"No!" Jane interjected.

Maura and Angela looked at Jane. Maura with amusement and Angela with disapproval. Jane looked between the two and realized how abrupt she sounded. "I mean, she can't. You have other things to do tonight right, Maura?" Jane gave the blonde a pleading look.

"Actually, no. I'm completely free. I would love to join you for dinner."

"Great!" Angela squealed. She moved in, surprising Maura with an unexpected hug while Jane rolled her eyes and cursed the higher power that put her in this position. Angela stepped out of the embrace and smiled down at Maura. "I was just about to serve dinner." She turned to Jane. "Janey, it's your turn to set the table."

"Yes, mom," Jane relented.

"Frankie! Tommy! Come down for dinner!" Angela shouted before heading into the kitchen.

Maura went to follow the older woman, but a strong hand gripped her arm, stopping her. "What are you doing?" Jane sneered in a low voice.

Maura met the other girl's challenging gaze. "Tormenting you some more." She pulled her arm out of Jane's grip as loud steps sounded on the staircase.

"I'm starvin'!" the voice of a young man declared.

"Me too!"

Maura looked up and saw two teenaged boys that looked at least 3 or 4 years younger than she and Jane. As they reached the bottom the stairs they noticed their sister standing next to the stranger.

"Wow, who's this Jane?" One of them asked.

Both boys were leering at Maura like she was a piece of meat. Maura glanced at Jane and saw the brunette was glaring at the two younger boys. Jane then glanced at Maura and the blonde placed a pleasant smile on her face.

"This is Maura, guys," Jane unenthusiastically replied. "She's from school. Maura these are my brothers, Frankie and Tommy."

"Nice to meet you both."

"Nice to meet _you_," Tommy grinned.

Maura could tell by the look in his eyes that the little 14 year old was a flirt. Frankie elbowed him in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell?" Tommy wined, rubbing his arm.

"Sorry, Maura. Tommy is kind of a perv," Frankie said.

"I am not!"

"Okay, will you two just go set the table!"

"It's your turn to set the table, Janey," Tommy shot back.

"Oh, my God. Just go in the dining room!" Jane scolded.

"Are you sure you're her friend? You seem too nice," Tommy said, before pushing past Jane. Frankie gave a shrug and followed.

"Sorry about that," Jane grumbled, barely looking the other girl in the eyes.

Maura raised an eyebrow. "You're apologizing to me?"

Jane looked at her and blushed lightly. "You really shouldn't be here."

"But I am here."

"Maura!" Angela called.

"And your mother needs my help. You should go set the table."

Jane stood rooted to the ground as Maura threw her a cheeky smile before entering the kitchen. Before helping Angela with the salad, the blonde made sure to call her driver and let him know he could pick her up at a later time.

During dinner, the entire Rizzoli family took a liking to Maura. They asked her questions and Maura always had an answer. Jane remained quiet and only spoke when necessary but with as little words as possible. Angela continued to embarrass Jane and Maura took great joy in seeing her bully practically sink underneath the dinner table.

As Jane and Angela began to clear the table, Maura offered to help. Frankie and Tommy rushed to the den arguing about what video game they wanted to play.

The three women were cleaning the kitchen until Jane suggested Angela go rest because she had cooked. The woman heartily agreed, happy to see her daughter be considerate for a change. Maura and Jane were left alone in the kitchen.

Maura was rubbing down the counter with a small towel when Jane stepped over to her. The blonde could feel the other girl's body heat because they were so close.

"You've had your fun. Now, leave," Jane hissed.

Maura stopped her motion of cleaning and looked Jane squarely in the eyes. "Why should I? You never left me alone when I asked you to."

The muscles in Jane's jaw tightened and she released a heavy breath through her nostrils. "Okay, how about this? I won't pick on you anymore, okay? I'm done. I'll stay away from you for good."

Maura regarded her for a moment then squint her eyes slightly. "No," Maura simply replied. She turned away and continued cleaning.

"No?"

"I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily, Rizzoli."

"Then what do you want?" Jane asked, flaring out her hands.

Maura tossed the dish towel aside and turned towards Jane, leaning her hip against the counter. "First off, I want to know what you wanted to say to me."

"Huh?"

"In the bathroom last week. You said every time you saw me you want to... what?"

Jane glowered at the blonde. "You know what," she growled.

"I'm afraid I don't," Maura challenged.

"You really want me to say it?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

Jane sighed tiredly. "If I say it, will you stop this?"

"Not necessarily, but it's a start."

Jane took a deep breath expanding her chest. "Fine," she exhaled.

Maura looked at her expectantly but on the inside her heart was hammering. What did Jane want to do every time she saw her? Maura watched as Jane nervously bit her lip before shyly lowering her eyes. The brunette swallowed nervously. After a moment, she raised her head and looked at Maura. The blonde's stomach suddenly churned with butterflies at the intensity in Jane's dark eyes.

"I was gonna say that… every time I see you…"

Maura drew a short breath of anticipation.

"I wanna-"

The kitchen door suddenly swung open. "Maura? Oh, good you're still here!" Tommy grinned spotting the blonde.

Maura exhaled the breath she had not realized she was holding and took a step back. Jane ran her hand through her long dark hair in frustration. "What is it, Tommy?" Jane snapped.

The young man frowned. "I wasn't talkin' to you anyway." He turned to Maura. "So, Maura. Um, me, Frankie and Janey are playing football with some other guys from school at Columbus Park tomorrow morning…"

"Tommy…" Jane warned.

Maura looked at him with her undivided attention and smiled politely. She could see that this was irritating Jane. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, around 9:30. You can come and watch… I mean if you want."

"Uh, Tommy," Jane interrupted before Maura could reply. "That's really nice of you to invite Maura but she's way too busy to-"

"I'd love to come."

Pure panic filled Jane's dark brown eyes and Maura smirked at her in amusement before shifting her eyes back towards Tommy.

"Yeah?" He smiled.

Maura looked Jane once more and saw nothing but pure anxiety. She smirked. "However, Tommy, I have to decline. I actually do have plans tomorrow morning. Another time?"

"Sure," he shrugged in disappointment. He left the kitchen with slumped shoulders.

"You almost made this situation a lot worse," Jane hissed.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be my driver."

"You have a driver? Oh, wait. Of course you do."

"Maura!" Angela called from the front door.

Maura glanced at the kitchen door at the call of her name and then looked at Jane. She stepped closer to Jane and immediately saw nervousness grace the brunette's features. "Now that I know what torments you, this is far from over."

Jane lifted her chin with slight defiance, but Maura could see the curiosity and apprehension in those dark brown eyes.

Maura turned and headed out of the kitchen with Jane in tow and they met Angela by the door. Frankie and Tommy were still in the den playing their videogame, shouting at the television.

Maura put on her jacket. "Thank you very much for dinner, Mrs. Rizzoli. It was lovely."

Angela chuckled lightly. "Wow. My chow has never been called lovely, but I'll take the compliment." Angela smiled, giving the blonde a welcoming hug.

For a moment, Maura felt the love of a real mother and the unconditional warmth spread through her unexpectedly. It was something she had not experienced often... maybe never at all.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to meet my husband, Frank. He's out working on a plumbing job."

"It's quite alright."

Jane stood by with her arms crossed regarding Maura with a look of 'you've won this round, Bore-a.'

Maura turned to Jane and smiled. Her eyes silently telling Jane, 'I know I won.'

"Goodnight, Jane."

"Night," Jane mumbled.

"Bye, Maura!" "Yeah, take it easy!" The boys called to her.

"Bye, Tommy! Bye, Frankie!"

Angela placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Maura, you can come by anytime," she offered.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

With one last fleeting look at a brooding Jane, the blonde stepped out of the house and approached the waiting vehicle.

During the ride home, Maura recounted the events of the night in her head. She had successfully gotten under Jane Rizzoli's skin and that pleased her immensely. But then there was Jane's family. They liked her and under much unlikeliness, she liked them back. Maura had never felt such a sense of togetherness before. A real family. And they all accepted her as one of their own. Well, not all of them.

Jane. Maura thought of the tall brunette as she looked outside at the passing landscape. She had enjoyed her taunting with the Jane throughout the night. But that moment when they were alone in the kitchen… Maura had felt those conflicting and confusing feelings towards Jane again. What started off as toying with the brunette soon turned into something else. Something that twisted her stomach in delicious knots. Maura shook her head, clearing her thoughts. No. She could not be thinking of Jane Rizzoli. Not in that way. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Please feed me the goods!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all the follows and reviews! Love reading the feedback! Let's see where this story takes us guys. Enjoy.**

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**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 3**

Maura sat back against the plush pillows that were propped up against her headboard. Dressed in her nightgown for the evening, she was heavily engrossed in her latest novel. Her cell phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence. The blonde quickly placed a bookmark between the pages and picked up her phone from the nightstand. Reading the number, her hopes plummeted. She knew what this call meant. She took a breath and answered.

"Hello, mother."

"Hello, darling. I am dreadfully sorry for calling you in such a late hour. Were you about to retire for the night?"

"Not quite. I was just catching up on some reading."

"That's my Maura; always with her nose in a book. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is…"

"You're cancelling our breakfast date," Maura unhappily interrupted.

Constance sighed. "I'm terribly sorry, darling. I promise I will make it up to you. I have to catch a flight out to Paris this evening. I could not cancel such urgent business."

_But she could cancel me. _"Of course, mother. I understand," the blonde replied, attempting to hold off the blanket of loneliness that was enveloping her. "How long will you be gone?"

"Perhaps a week. Hopefully, less than that. And when I return, I assure you we will have that breakfast."

Maura smiled sadly. "Sure, mother."

"Thank you for understanding, Maura. Now, I must go. We'll chat soon, alright?"

"Yes, of course."

"Ciao, darling."

"Ciao."

After hanging up, Maura was no longer in the mood to read. She set her book aside before shutting off her bedside light. Curling herself under the covers, she tried to hold back her tears. Constance often broke promises with her and she was used to it, but that did not mean the disappointment hurt any less. Her thoughts then went to the Rizzoli family. Angela was a stay at home mother. How wonderful it must be to have that much attention and love 24-hours a day. Maura was sure Jane and her brothers never felt neglected. Jane and her brothers… a smile spread across Maura's lips. The football game. Tommy had invited her to come watch them play tomorrow morning. She was not to be expected and that would totally throw Jane off. With a small smile still playing on her lips, Maura closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.

* * *

Maura looked at herself in the mirror one last time before heading out. She wore a simple sun dress, her hair was down with perfect curls and she wore just a tad bit of makeup. She glanced at the time on her cell phone and saw it was five minutes until 10am. That meant the Rizzolis have only been at the park for about a half hour now. Perfect. It was best to arrive fashionably late anyhow. Deciding not to bother her driver for the morning, Maura took her own car to the park. Her beautiful black Lexus. She rarely drove on her own per her mother's insistence. But her mother wasn't there and she jumped at the chance.

She easily found a space in the parking lot and climbed out of the car. The park was fairly large but not many people were out. When she heard a bunch of shouting in the distance, Maura followed it and soon came across a large grass field. She instantly spotted Jane running with the football in her hand as three other boys tried to catch her, but they were no match for Jane's speed. The brunette moved with such natural grace and agility, instantly impressing Maura. Jane soon reached the area they marked for a touchdown and spiked the ball down in victory.

"Yeah! Suck it!" Jane shouted loudly, pumping her fists in the air.

Maura could not help but smile as Jane and her small team, including Frankie and Tommy, briefly celebrated. The blonde spotted a small set of bleachers facing the field and discreetly took a seat. She quietly continued to observe the game. Maura never did take the time to understand the concepts and rules of popular sports. Baseball, basketball, hockey… they just never held an interest for her. Now, fencing and ballet she understood, but people tackling each other on a field, not so much.

She continued to watch with interest as the two teams huddled up in separate circles, talking for a short while until they broke apart and took positions on the field.

As they all lined up in their set positions, Jane happened to glance Maura's way. Jane did a double take, as if she was making sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Hike!"

Maura smiled broadly and waved at Jane.

"Janey!" Frankie shouted.

The brunette whipped her head towards the source of her name, but before she could react, the sailing football struck her square on her nose. "Ohhh!" Jane yelped, as she bent over, holding her nose.

Maura flinched at the contact as did the other players on the field.

"Shit! Janey are you alright?!" Frankie yelled, running over to his sister.

Tommy was the first by his sister's side, placing a comforting hand on her back. "Damn, Jane. You okay?"

With a hand still covering her nose, Jane she stood up straight and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'm okay."

"Let me see," Frankie insisted, trying to move Jane's hand away from her face.

Jane tilted her head back some and removed her hand. Frankie cringed at the sight of blood running down his sister's nostrils. "Oh, no, you're bleedin'."

"Great…" Jane grumbled. "Thanks a lot, Frankie."

"How was I supposed to know you wouldn't catch it?! You're the receiver!"

"What were you looking at anyway?" Tommy asked, his eyes scanning the area. His gaze soon landed on Maura and his eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, Maura's here. I didn't think she could make it."

"Maura's here?" Frankie craned his neck to look towards the sidelines.

Jane rolled her eyes at her brothers.

"Did she throw off your concentration, Janey?" Tommy teased.

"Shut up!" She growled before stomping off the grassy field.

Tommy and Frankie followed her over to the water fountain and stood around her as she tended to her nose. Maura stood from her seat and walked over to them. She placed a gentle hand on each of Tommy and Frankie's shoulders, drawing their attention.

"I'll take it from here boys."

"Oh, hey, Maura," Tommy said. "Did you see Frankie nail Janey with the ball?"

"It was an accident," Frankie defended.

"I'll take care of Jane." Maura interrupted, before the boys got into an argument. "You guys go back to your game."

"You sure?" Tommy asked.

"Yes. I've got it handled."

"Cool. Thanks, Maura," Frankie sheepishly replied, before following Tommy back to the field.

Maura was left alone with Jane, who was bent over the fountain, running water over her sore, bloody nose. The blonde turned her head to one side, observing Jane with concern. "Are you okay?"

Jane tiredly glanced at her, before lowering her head once more. "Yeah…" she grumbled. "No thanks to you."

Maura furrowed her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Awh," the brunette groaned in discomfort, accidentally applying too much pressure on her nose. "You distracted me..."

"_I _distracted you?"

"Yeah! With the waving and your…" Jane waved her hand towards Maura's dress and shook her head. She was still so flustered and embarrassed she was at a loss for words. "Anyway you threw me off, thus football to face," she muttered, pointing at her nose.

Seeing Jane like this, all pathetic and leaned over a fountain after being wacked in the face by a football was quite comical. Maura chuckled lightly and quickly covered her mouth. Jane looked up from the fountain and menacingly squint her eyes. "Are you laughing?"

"No," Maura shook her head unconvincingly.

"It's not funny," Jane scolded.

"Right, of course," Maura replied, biting back a grin.

"Mmm," Jane groaned. "This fucking sucks." She stood up straight and experimentally wiggled her nose.

Maura reached into her purse and pulled out a sealed disinfectant wipe. "Here. This should help clean up some of the blood."

Jane looked down at Maura's hand before she took the offered wipe. "What, you're a walking first aid kit too?" She asked as she ripped open the seal.

"Not necessarily. But I do carry a few things in case of emergencies. I think this counts as one."

"Thanks…"

"And I have cotton balls."

"No thanks," Jane deadpanned. The bleeding had finally stopped and Jane wiped off the remainder of the semi-dried blood under her nostrils. "You must be loving this…" she mumbled. "Seeing me suffer…"

"Not at all," Maura frowned. "I may not like you, Jane, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Jane tossed the bloodied wipe in a nearby trashcan. Maura turned her head slightly, trying to observe the brunette's nose. From what she could see, slight swelling and discoloration was beginning.

Jane frowned, not liking the idea of being scrutinized. "What?"

"May I take a closer look?"

Jane raised an eyebrow. "You a doctor?"

"No. Not yet, but hopefully sometime in the future. I find the human anatomy fascinating and I've been doing extensive research on osteology and myology."

Jane now raised both her eyebrows and gave Maura a clueless look.

"The study of bones and muscles in the body," Maura sheepishly replied.

"Right…" Jane nodded.

This often happened whenever Maura attempted to speak with someone her age. Her brain would start spewing off scientific terms or historical facts and it would completely throw off the conversation. It always made Maura feel like an outcast but she could not help it when she got excited about her studies. Maura tried to shake the awkwardness and got back to the matter at hand. "May I assess the damage?"

Jane sighed heavily. "Whatever gets your rocks off." Maura frowned. Now she was the one not understanding Jane's use of words. The brunette eyed her dubiously with a slight smile. "You can look," Jane reaffirmed.

Maura stepped closer, her eyes squarely on the injured nose. She carefully raised her hands and placed her fingertips along Jane's chin, turning her head. She would not know it, but in that moment she was making the brunette's heart thump faster.

"It looks like a hairline fracture, but I can't be sure. Definitely dislocated. I can pop that back into place for you."

When she received no response from Jane, Maura shifted her gaze to Jane's eyes and she felt her breath catch at the look Jane was giving her. The brunette was dreamily gazing at her, as if she were in another world. Maura lowered her hands and cleared her throat. "Jane?"

"Huh?" Jane blinked her eyes a few times.

Maura smiled softly. "I said I can pop your nose back into place. If that's alright?"

"Oh, um… yea, yea sure. Go for it."

"Okay." Maura lightly placed her fingers in position on Jane's nose. "It will hurt a little."

Jane blew an exasperated breath between her lip. "No biggy. I've broken way worse than this."

"It's not broken, dislocated."

"Right, whatever… just…"

"Okay, on three."

"Kay."

"One… tw…" CRACK.

"Ow! Jesus Christ!" Jane shrank back, holding her nose. "You said a little!"

Maura smiled at Jane's outburst. "You'll live."

"Mmm, that wasn't fun," Jane muttered, shaking her head slightly.

"We need to get ice on that right away."

"Well, all of us walked here and there's no ice."

"I can drive you home," Maura offered.

"Nah, it's okay."

"Jane, I insist. Unless you want to look like Mike Tyson in an hour or so."

Jane eyed Maura for a moment then rolled her eyes. "Fine..." she relented.

"Good."

"Hey, Frankie!" She cringed as pain shot through her nose. "Ow... I'm going home to put ice on this thing!"

"Do you want us to come with you?!" Frankie shouted back.

"No, it's cool! Maura is taking me!"

"Okay!"

Jane turned to Maura and the blonde smiled lightly. "Follow me."

They walked the short way to the parking lot and Jane's eyes bulged out of their sockets as Maura unlocked the Lexus. "Nice wheels."

The blonde beamed, surprised by the compliment. "Thank you. Most people don't notice them. They're OEM 19" F-Sport wheels."

"Yes… and the _entire_ car is nice too," Jane tried to stifle a chuckle. She wanted to remain in a dreary mood, but that made her laugh a bit.

They climbed into the car and were soon on their way. The short ride over to the Rizzoli home was silent. Jane returned to her brooding state. The blonde figured Jane was embarrassed. Maura was loving it. Many times she had to stop herself from laughing each time she replayed the ball hitting Jane in the face.

When they reached a stoplight, Maura took an opportunity to glance at the brunette. Only Jane was not looking out the window, nor straight ahead, she was looking at Maura... well, at Maura's exposed legs. The blonde instantly felt a blush redden her cheeks. She watched as Jane's eyes slowly left her legs and went up her body, stopping temporarily at her breasts. Maura held her breath and her fingers involuntarily gripped the stirring wheel. Finally, Jane reached her face, and their eyes met. Maura saw pure lust morph into panic in the brunette's eyes. Panic for being caught checking her out. Jane quickly averted her gaze out the passenger side window and cleared her throat.

When Maura pulled up to the house, Jane quickly opened the door, muttering a quick, "thanks," and hopped out. For a moment, Maura contemplated whether she should follow or not, but to her surprise, she actually cared if Jane was okay. She reasoned that it was only the medical side of her. She climbed out of the car and followed Jane.

The brunette had just opened the door with her key and turned towards Maura who was approaching. "Oh, no," Jane said, holding up her hand. "I think you've done enough. Thanks for the ride, but I can handle making an icepack for myself." Jane turned around and began to step inside.

"Are you afraid you'll have the urge to check me out again?"

Jane whipped around, shock on her face. "What?"

"Oh, please Jane. I saw where your eyes were."

Jane sighed heavily. "You're killing me, you know that? What can I do to make you go away?"

"I'll decide when I want to go away."

"Why would you even want to be around me? I was terrible to you since Sophomore year."

"I realize that, Jane. And to be honest, I_ don't_ want to be around you. But seeing that my presence now makes you uncomfortable, particularly since our little bathroom incident, I only see this as fair." Jane looked at Maura with defiance but said nothing further. Maura weaved her hands behind her back and looked Jane in the eyes. "So, I have a proposition."

Jane folded her arms in front of her, curiosity peaked. "And if I agree to this proposition, you'll stop flaunting yourself around me?"

"It will involve us parting ways eventually, yes."

"Fine, let's hear it. My nose is throbbing," Jane said with impatience.

Maura smiled unapologetically. "I want _us_ to be the best of friends,"

"Huh?" Jane frowned.

"Friends, Jane. You'll treat me with respect, generosity, and kindness. Pretty much the opposite of how you treated me before."

"Wow… what kind of proposition is that? Friends? Really? So, you want us to eat lunch together, do girl talk on the phone and paint each other's nails?"

Maura smugly smiled at Jane's frazzled state. "Whatever friends do," she shrugged.

"This is crazy. You know that, right?"

"But it's my proposal and _your_ way out."

Jane lowered her head and bit her lip. She seemed to be contemplating the offer. Maura patiently waited. Finally, Jane spoke. "For how long would we do this?" She grumbled.

"A month."

"Two weeks" Jane countered, raising her head.

"Three weeks."

"Fine."

Maura smiled triumphantly.

Jane scratched the back of her head and had a confused look on her face. "But I don't get it. What's in it for you, though?"

Maura took a step closer and they looked into each other's eyes. "I'll have the pleasure of seeing you want something you can never have. Me."

Maura could see the nervousness in Jane's face as the brunette swallowed audibly and tightened her jaw muscles.

"Hey, you two! What a surprise!" A voice broke their moment.

Both girls stepped away from each other and turned around to see Angela coming up the stoop, two large grocery bags in hand. She smiled broadly. "Maura! Good to see you."

"You too, Mrs. Rizzoli."

Angela joined them near the front door and her smile instantly transformed to concern when she saw her daughter's face. "Janey! What happened?"

"Nothing, ma. Just an accident on the field. Maura brought me home to put ice on it."

"That's kind of you, Maura. I told you not to play with all those boys, Jane. Now you two come inside," Angela ordered, walking into the house.

Maura looked at Jane and the brunette rolled her eyes after her mother. She then turned to Maura and gestured for her to go first as if the blonde were high royalty. "After you… _friend_."

* * *

**A/N: Still okay? This is an adventure. Just writing what pops in my head.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: My. my. Many of you are demanding. But you know what? That's just fine with me. Enjoy the next chapter :)**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 4**

Maura and Jane sat in the Rizzolis' den with the television on, waiting for Angela to return with an icepack for Jane. Maura silently observed Jane. The brunette was slouching back against the couch cushions, pointing the remote at the television, clicking away. The blonde looked towards the TV and noticed that each channel was only up for a millisecond.

"Do you ordinarily take this long to select a program?" Maura asked.

"Yep. It's called channel surfing."

Maura watched in growing agitation as Jane continued to fly through each channel. "You're clicking through the channels way too fast. How can you even tell what you're seeing?"

"Hey, how about you _not _worry about it?"

"How about _you _pick a station?" Maura retorted.

Jane was about to say something back, but her mother walked in. "Here you go baby," she said, handing Jane the icepack.

Maura smiled in amusement at the term of endearment. The brunette looked her way and Maura mouthed, 'baby' in a teasing matter. Jane rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Ma."

"What exactly happened out there?" Angela asked.

"Nothing, Ma. It's no big deal." The brunette winced as she placed the ice on her nose.

Angela looked to the blonde for an answer. "Maura?"

Maura glanced at Jane and then back to Angela. "Oh, um. I'm afraid Jane was hit in the face by the football. It caused a miner fracture but I popped her nose back into place, no problem."

"What?!" Angela shrieked worriedly.

Jane grimaced at Maura. "Thanks for the explanation, doc," she growled lowly.

Maura smiled and nodded her head.

Angela was now rubbing Jane's back in a comforting matter. "Relax ma, I'm fine…" Jane mumbled behind the icepack.

"I still don't understand why you play so roughly with the boys. You should be spending more time with girls, like Maura. She will be a good influence on you."

"Oh, God..." Jane groaned.

"Then maybe you wouldn't get into any more fights _or_get suspended," Angela continued. "Maura's a good girl. I can tell."

Maura grinned. She knew this was killing Jane. "Thank you, Mrs. Rizzoli."

Angela refrained from rubbing her daughter and stepped back. "Jane, you keep ice on that. I'll fix you some lunch. Maura would you like anything?"

"Oh, no thank you."

"Okay," Angela replied with a smile, before walking out of the room.

"Humph. Your mother thinks I'm a good influence on you," Maura noted.

"Bite me."

"Bite you?" Maura repeated, with confusion.

"Ugh, never mind…" Jane grumbled.

"Now, Jane. I don't think that's how friends speak to one another."

The brunette removed the icepack from her face and looked at Maura, frowning curiously. "I thought you had plans today."

Maura's cheeky demeanor faded slightly, as did the smile on her face. She lowered her eyes for a moment as thoughts of her mother cancelling their plans came to mind. "I… I did but, my plans were suddenly changed."

She hesitantly met Jane's eyes and the brunette was seemed to be studying her. Jane's face appeared to express a bit of regret. As though she had realized she may have miss-stepped in asking Maura about her plans.

"Oh," Jane simply replied, with no hint of sarcasm. She carefully placed the ice back on her nose.

Maura pushed aside her gloomy thoughts and perked up a bit, trying to change the mood. "So, when I became free for the day, I remembered Tommy had invited me to watch this so called football game."

"So called?" Jane raised an eyebrow. "You don't like football?"

"I've never cared to follow it before, so I wouldn't know if I liked it or not."

"You've never watched a game?"

"No. All I know is pigskin is being thrown or kicked around, but I don't quite understand the tackling."

Jane laughed heartily but her smile soon turned into an incredulous look. Maura had a perplexed expression on her face, not understanding Jane's reaction. "You don't understand it…" she deadpanned. Maura shook her head thoughtfully. "Wow, okay. If you're gonna be hangin' around me, you gotta know football. Hell, you gotta know sports."

Maura felt out of the loop for not knowing the game so she decided to use her best weapon against Jane in order to gain the advantage. "Well…" Maura said, leaning back against the cushions more comfortably. "Then I guess you'll have to teach me." Maura lifted her leg and crossed it over the other, causing her dress hike up slightly. More creamy skin clearly became visible and Jane's eyes automatically zeroed in, but then quickly averted. "Will you teach me, Jane?" Maura not so innocently purred.

"Uh, um." Jane cleared her throat and shifted her body in her seat. "I... I guess."

Maura smirked as she noticed Jane was having trouble keeping her eyes of her legs. "Good. Friends teach each other things all the time. Right?"

"Yeah... sure." A blush was forming on the brunette's cheeks.

Maura grinned at the flustered brunette as Mrs. Rizzoli walked back into the den holding two plates.

"Here you go girls."

"Thank God…" Jane mumbled, tossing the icepack aside and accepting her plate.

"Maura, I know you said you didn't want anything but I made an extra snack for you anyway."

"Oh, okay. Thank you," Maura replied, taking the saucer.

"Thanks, ma," Jane said. She grabbed the hot dog with the works off her plate and immediately dug in.

Maura crinkled her nose as she watched Jane heartily devour her food. The brunette was eating as though she had been starved for weeks. Maura then turned her attention to the plate in her hands. It was one sandwich cut into four triangle pieces. Maura could not decipher what was between the bread however. She picked up one of the pieces with wonder and examined it carefully.

"What are you doing?"

Maura turned to Jane and saw the brunette looking at her strangely. "I'm not… what exactly is this white substance?"

"It's fluff," Jane answered. Maura was still clueless. "It's marshmallow. And the brown stuff is peanut butter."

"I knew that, Jane. Thank you." Maura replied. She continued to scrutinize the snack. "You eat this for lunch? That can't be healthy."

"That's because it's dessert." Jane took another bite of her hot dog and looked at Maura with a hint of amusement. "You gonna try it?" Maura looked at Jane, unsure. "Or is it too _unhealthy_ for you?"

The blonde defiantly lifted her chin. She wasn't about to let Jane one up her. Maura blew out a slight breath in preparation and then took an experimental bite of the food. Her eyebrows shot up as her taste buds perked and jumped for joy in her mouth. "Mmm! This is _really _good."

Jane let out a chuckle and shook her head.

"Oh, my. Why have I never had this?"

"Probably because the rich and sophisticated don't lower themselves to such things as fluff," Jane replied with an heir of mockery.

Maura ignored Jane's comment and finished the delicious piece of sweetness. Jane would often use comments such as those when she would bully her. "You know what, Jane? I have an idea."

"What is it, your highness?" She asked, popping the final piece of her food in her mouth.

"Let's do a sleepover tonight."

Jane practically choked on her bite of hotdog and covered her mouth. "What?" Jane got out. She swallowed her food; her eyes wide in panic. "You w… want to do a sleepover?"

Maura simply nodded.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She discreetly shrieked.

"You shouldn't curse, Jane."

The brunette let out an exasperated sigh at Maura's scolding. "Where are you trying to do a sleepover?"

"Here, of course."

Jane shook her head. "No…we can't. You don't have any PJ's here…or a change of clothes… oh, _and _you have no toothbrush," Jane listed off.

"I can easily run home and fetch those things, Jane."

"Maura…" Jane said in a slightly pleading matter. "I'm not liking this idea."

"No? I think it's a great idea... friend."

Angela decided to take that moment to enter the den holding an empty laundry basket. She was heading passed them, behind the couch they were sitting on.

"Um, Mrs. Rizzoli. Jane has something she would like to ask you."

The older woman stopped and looked down at her daughter. "Oh, yeah? What is it Janey?"

The brunette reluctantly turned to her mother. "Can…" she sighed heavily. "Can Maura spend the night?" Jane asked, dreading the predictable response.

"Of course!" Angela beamed. "Maura you're more than welcome. I'll go change your sheets, Jane."

"Ma, you don't have t-" but before she could finish, her mother was already starting up the stairs.

Jane sighed once again.

"See, your mother likes the idea," Maura teased.

"Yay…"

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli!" Angela's voice suddenly boomed from upstairs. "Your room is a pigsty!" The brunette cringed at the sound of her mother's tone. "What have I told you about this? You're just as bad as your brothers!"

"I'll clean it, ma! Chill!"

Angela was soon at the railing of the stairs, looking down at them. "Don't you tell me to chill young lady!"

"Oh, man…" Jane mumbled.

"I will not allow you to have your room looking a mess in front of company. Get up here now!"

Maura watched in amusement as the two Rizzoli's went back and forth. Of course Angela won the argument. Jane turned to Maura, embarrassed. "Excuse me, but I have to go clean my room… for _you_."

"I appreciate that," Maura happily replied.

The brunette rolled her eyes and stood to her feet, as did Maura. Jane rounded the couch and headed upstairs.

"I'll just head home and get my things."

"Great…" Jane murmured, not turning to look at her.

Maura smiled at Jane's slumped shoulders as the brunette trudged up the staircase. Maura then exited the house and happily skipped over to her car, beaming. Could this get any better? The girl that had humiliated and made fun of her was now getting what she deserved. Pure misery. The taste of revenge was sweet and this was only beginning.

* * *

It took Maura approximately an hour or so to return to the Rizzoli home. Between picking an outfit for the next day, gathering her essentials for her nightly ritual, and choosing pajamas, she lost track of time. She could not help that she was particular in her style. After ringing the doorbell, Frankie answered.

"Hey, Maura. I heard you're spendin' the night," he said, allowing the blonde to walk into the house.

"That's correct."

"Cool. Janey hasn't had a friend sleepover in… well never," he chuckled.

Maura smiled politely. She herself had never had a sleepover, but why disclose that information? "Where is Jane?"

"Frank, look at what you're doing to my kitchen!" Angela's voice shouted from the back of the house.

"Ang, would you quit it! I know what I'm doin'!" A man shouted back.

Both Maura and Frankie exchanged glances. "Um, she's in the kitchen with my Ma and Pop. Follow me."

He headed down the hall and Maura was right behind him. She glanced in the den and saw Tommy sitting on the floor right in front of the television. A bag of Cheetos was in his hand. He gave a polite wave and an orange toothed grin as Maura passed.

More shouting ensued from the kitchen before Frankie pushed the swinging door open. Right away she saw Jane crouched down on the floor, holding a flashlight in one hand and a wrench in the other. She was providing light for whoever was under the kitchen faucet. The bottom half of a man's body was all that could be seen. Maura assumed it was Jane's father. He was spewing off random obscenities and at the same time arguing with Angela who was hovering not one foot away on the opposite side of Jane.

"Janey!" Frankie hollered, trying to get her attention. But she could not hear over Frank and Angela's arguing.

"I have to prepare dinner soon! Why are you doing this now?!" Angela asked.

"Ma! Will you just let him work?!" Jane argued.

"Thank you, Janey. You should listen to your daughter, Ang!" Frank scolded.

"There is water all over my kitchen floor! Who's going to clean it?!"

"Hey!" Frankie shouted loudly.

The arguing stopped and the kitchen grew silent. Well, except for the sound of Frank Sr. still tinkering away under the sink. Angela and Jane turned towards them.

"Finally," Frankie sighed. "Janey, Maura is here."

Feeling a bit awkward, Maura gave a small wave. Jane looked at her as if she was dreading what else Maura had in store for her the rest of the night.

"Oh, Maura! We didn't see you there." Angela smiled, despite her mood. "Jane, go show Maura to your room."

Jane reluctantly lowered the flashlight. "Right, ma," Jane complied, standing to her feet.

"Janey, the light!" Frank demanded, from under the sink.

"Frank, you have to meet Jane's new friend, Maura."

"Nice to meet you," he quickly said, not attempting to move from his spot. "I need a light."

Angela rolled her eyes and waved him off. Everyone knew how Frank got when he was on a mission to complete one of is plumbing jobs. "Frankie, come take over for your sister."

"But I wanted to watch X-Men with Tommy," he pouted.

"Now," Angela sternly commanded.

Jane handed the flashlight to Frankie as she made her way over to Maura. "Come on," she said, pushing passed the swinging door of the kitchen.

Maura followed Jane down the hallway and towards the stairs. "Your family is certainly… colorful with words."

"Yeah…"

"So, you father is a plumber? I think I saw his truck out front."

"Yeah, he is."

Maura noticed how short Jane's answers were and she wondered why the usually mouthy brunette was acting so short with her. Once upstairs, Jane led Maura down a short hallway to a closed door. The brunette stopped and placed her hand on the doorknob but did not attempt to open the door. She seemed frozen. Maura watched as Jane inhaled a deep breath, then slowly release it.

"Jane?" Maura questioned.

"Just… give me a second," Jane held up her hand and closed her eyes.

"You need a second to go into your room?"

"No… I need a second before _you _go in my room," Jane replied. She blew out another breath.

Maura frowned slightly and looked over the brunette's body language. "Perspiration on the forehead and palms, slight shakiness, creasing around the frontal bone…" Maura smirked at the obvious signs. "You're nervous."

Jane let out a slight chuckle. "I'm… I'm not nervous," she squeaked.

"You are. And you're avoiding eye contact with me."

"Ugh…" Jane sighed and sagged her shoulders. "You're not making this any easier," she grumbled.

"Good," Maura chuckled lightly as Jane finally opened the door. She followed Jane inside and her eyes began to scan the small room. There were various posters of Boston sports teams on the walls and a dresser that had a small TV on it. Maura's attention was then drawn to a shelf in the right corner of the room. Placed on top were about six or seven trophies. She walked over to them, her eyes quickly reading each one. They were for pee-wee hockey, little league softball, and basketball. Maura noticed none of them were related to their high school.

Maura looked over her shoulder at Jane. The brunette had her hands stuffed in her front pockets, silently looking back at her. The usually tough and talkative girl almost looked vulnerable as she stood in the middle of the room. Maura was in her personal space; the place where Jane spent most of her alone time.

"How come you didn't join the sports teams at school?" Maura asked.

"And be a dumb jock? No way."

"Hmm." Maura hummed thoughtfully. She stepped away from the shelf and noticed an open door to the right. It led to a full bathroom.

"Okay, well. This is my room." Jane said, with a wave of both arms. "Now, let's go back down. Put your bag on the bed."

Maura looked at the double bed with the Boston Red Sox comforter. She walked over and placed her bag on the bed. "So, this is where we'll be sleeping?" She asked, meeting Jane's shifty gaze. Maura settled herself on the mattress and crossed one leg over the other.

"Um…"

Jane stood like a statue, looking at the blonde as though she were the prey for a lurking vampire; and Jane was that creature of the night yearning to taste her. In fact, it was then that Maura noticed that Jane had not moved an inch from that spot since they had been in the room.

"Your bed is soft," Maura softly spoke, watching her own hand run across the bedspread. The blonde met Jane's gaze and the brunette looked as she was having trouble breathing. Maura turned her head to one side, regarding Jane carefully. "What are you thinking right now?" Maura asked, purposely lowering her voice an octave.

Jane visibly swallowed and ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I… I'm thinking…." Jane paused to collect herself. "I'm thinking we should go back downstairs…" Jane got out.

"But we just got up here."

"Maura…"

"Jane?" Maura playfully responded.

Jane stuffed her hands back in her pockets and stared back at Maura. "This can't happen," Jane shook her head defiantly. "No sleepover."

"Might I ask why?"

"You know why…" Jane's hands fidgeted in her pockets. "And you… _tempting_ my ass is… I don't like it."

Maura considered Jane's words before slowly standing from the bed. Keeping her eyes locked with the brunette's she walked over to Jane, coming to a stop just a foot in front of her. She regarded Jane seriously. Dark brown eyes looked back at her. "You don't like it? Tough. We made a deal, Jane. We're friends now. For three weeks… whether you like it or not. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't use language like that around me."

They stared at each other and Maura could not decipher Jane's expression. It was as though the brunette was having an internal struggle with herself and could not decide whether she wanted to punch Maura or kiss her. Despite Jane's inner turmoil, Maura smiled widely. "Okay. Now, we can go downstairs," Maura chirped. She walked passed Jane and headed out of the room.

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**A/N: So, what do you think of this little situation?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: You all are demanding! I love it. So, I'm updating as quickly as I can. But I also want to give you quality. Know what I'm saying? Enjoy. Oh, and the chapter is a bit longer than the others. I know that disappoints you all. Hee Hee.**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 5**

Maura went downstairs and entered the den, only this time Tommy was nowhere to be seen. Jane soon joined her.

"What should we do first?" Maura asked.

"I don't know," Jane begrudgingly replied. "We can watch a movie, I guess."

"That sounds fun!" Maura perked up. "What are we watching?" She made her way to the couch and took a seat.

"Uh…" Jane shrugged. "I heard Frankie mention X-Men, so, let's do that." Jane walked over to the entertainment center.

"What are X-Men?"

Jane turned from the case of movies and raised her eyebrow at Maura in surprise. "You've never seen X-Men? Mutated superheroes with awesome super powers that save the earth over and over?"

Maura shrugged. She truly had no idea what this film was.

"Wow. Okay, we're watching this movie," Jane said, popping the disc in the player.

Tommy walked into the room and frowned at his sister. "Hey, we were gonna watch that."

"I know, dummy. That's why I'm putting it on. You're welcome."

Tommy rolled his eyes and resumed his spot on the floor, in front of the TV. Jane shuffled over to the couch and sat on the opposite end from Maura. About five minutes later, Frankie entered the room, carrying two large bowls of popcorn. He handed one to Jane.

"Thanks, Frankie. Mom have you bring these in?"

"What? You don't think I'd fix you popcorn out of the goodness of my heart?" Frankie asked in mock hurt.

"Not a chance."

Frankie playfully kicked her leg and she leaned forward smacking him in the arm before he took the armchair that was diagonal from the couch.

Maura sat back in amusement as she watched Jane interact with her siblings. Jane actually seemed cute when she was bantering back and forth with them. Just being in the presence of the three Rizzolis for minutes at a time, Maura could tell Jane loved her brothers dearly. Seeing this side of Jane actually made it seem as though the brunette had a heart under that hard exterior. Who knew? Jane glanced her way and Maura instinctively smiled softly. Though she had not meant anything by the smile, not this time anyway, Jane shyly averted her eyes towards the television and placed the bowl of popcorn between them on the couch.

They were now a half hour into the movie and Maura could not deny that the film was unusually entertaining. Though she knew a majority of the things presented in the movie were scientifically impossible, she chose to hold her tongue about it. Inside she was bursting to splurge why human mutation of this extent could not exist, but she knew her lecture would make her seem… well, weird. So, she remained silent.

Maura glanced at Tommy on the floor and then Frankie on the chair. Both of them had their eyes glued to the screen. Every once and awhile comment they would make a comment. Maura then discreetly looked Jane's way. Since the brunette was also engrossed in the film, Maura took a moment to study Jane's profile. The blonde had never really noticed before, but Jane was… attractive. But not just attractive… beautiful. The unruly dark locks, the distinct cheekbones, long lashes, tanned skin and of course those dark brown eyes. Even with slight bruising around her nose, Jane was still a looker.

Maura shook her head and turned her attention back to the movie. No. She could not think Jane was beautiful. Not Jane. This was the girl who threw spitballs in her hair, tripped her in the hallway, called her names, and poured Hawaiian Punch on her white blouse during lunchtime at school. She could not be beautiful. But damn it… She was.

Maura tried to erase these thoughts from her mind as she blindly reached for a piece of popcorn. However, instead of popcorn she felt warmth. The warmth of a human hand. Jane's hand. Maura looked up and was caught in a gaze with those dangerous brown eyes. They both quickly snatched their hands away, confused by the tingling they both felt in their stomachs.

"Sorry," they both sputtered in unison.

"Dinner's ready!" Angela called from the dining room.

Jane cleared her throat. "Thank God…" she sighed, standing up.

Maura could tell Jane was relieved that their awkward moment of 'handsy' was interrupted, as was she. What was that anyway?

"Alright!" Frankie cheered, climbing off the chair.

"Good, I'm starvin'!" Tommy chimed in, following his brother out of the den.

Jane and Maura were right behind them.

Dinner with the Rizzolis was just as loud and entertaining as it was the first time. They would fuss and poke fun at each other, but it was all done with love and good nature. Only it seemed more chaotic with Frank, Sr. at the table. He was actually a very kind man when he properly introduced himself to Maura and briefly spoke with her. Jane was sitting directly across from Maura and every once and a while Maura caught the brunette looking her way. Jane would hold her gaze for a short while and then look away. They never spoke directly to each other during dinner.

Afterwards, Jane, Maura, Frankie and Tommy returned to the den to finish their movie. Frank and Angela retired to their room for the night. Everyone settled down in their previous spots before Jane picked up the remote and un-paused the film.

After a few minutes, Jane finally spoke to Maura. "You hate it, huh?"

Maura frowned and turned to Jane. "I'm sorry?"

Jane nodded towards the television. "X-Men."

"Oh," Maura glanced at the TV and then back at Jane. "I don't hate it. It's not quite my genre of film, but it's somewhat entertaining."

"Somewhat? It takes a lot to impress you, huh?"

Maura gave a light smile. "Sometimes. I just know that the capabilities and physical attributes of the portrayed 'mutants' in the movie are scientifically improbable in reality."

Jane stared it her, blankly. As if she was still comprehending what Maura said and letting it trickle into her mind.

"It's… hard to wrap my mind around it all," Maura finished, looking down at her hands. She knew her thoughts about the film were silly and she now wished she had not said anything at all.

"Some advice? If you care to take it?" Jane finally said.

Maura looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Don't try to wrap your mind around it. Just… escape into their world. No science, okay? Watching this movie automatically puts us in their world. And right now, there are mutants on Earth and they are _very_ real. If you can do that, you'll like the story a whole lot better. I think."

Maura could not believe that Jane was actually talking to her as if they were… friends. Jane seemed to realize this herself and suddenly her face became pretty self-conscious. She bashfully lowered her eyes and quickly glued them to the television screen.

The blonde stared at Jane for a moment and felt a warmth pass over her. An odd, fuzzy feeling. It actually felt nice to have the brunette speak to her in a normal fashion without teasing or sarcasm. Jane had attempted to break down the storyline of the film in a way that Maura could comprehend. It was generous. It was sweet.

"Okay… I can try," Maura found herself saying.

Jane turned to her and they looked into each other's eyes. Both of them knew in that moment that something between them had shifted. It was a small shift, but it was there. They were not even sure what exactly it was but it definitely happened. They both turned back to the movie.

Maura had taken Jane's advice and tricked her mind into thinking mutants were real and it actually made the film so much more enjoyable. When X-Men came to the end, Tommy and Frankie insisted that Maura watched the sequel. The blonde did not argue with them and happily agreed to watch the second film.

An hour or so into the movie, the two boys had fallen asleep. It was nearly midnight and Maura was having trouble keeping her eyes open herself. Jane was still awake but was resting her head on the arm rest of the couch.

Angela walked into the darkened den wearing a house robe and scanned the room with her eyes. She went over to Tommy first on the floor and shook him gently. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

Tommy slowly stirred awake and looked around. "We're watching, X-Men," he yawned.

"Sure you are." Angela walked over to Frankie, waking him up. "How does it look behind your eyelids?"

Frankie said nothing as he was awakened and tiredly stood from the chair.

"To bed you two," Angela said, leading her sleepy boys out of the den. She looked towards Jane and Maura. "Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight."

"Night, Ma," Jane replied.

Jane and Maura were now sitting in the room alone.

"Aren't we heading up for bed also?" Maura asked, looking at Jane.

The brunette suddenly seemed more awake and turned to Maura. "Uh… yeah. We can..." Though Jane sounded unsure, she stood up and clicked off the TV.

Maura followed Jane upstairs and into the darkened bedroom. The brunette reached to the right and flicked on the light switch. The room was bathed in a warm golden glow from the dimmed light. Maura gently closed the door behind them.

"Um. I guess you can change first. I can wait," Jane offered, scratching the back of her head.

"Okay." Maura walked over to the bed and opened her designer duffel bag. Suddenly, a thought came to mind and she could not resist.

Jane tiredly plopped down on the bed, her feet landing near Maura's bag. She turned on her small TV with the remote and leaned back against her pillows.

Maura remained standing where she was and began to unbutton the front of her dress. She knew Jane was watching her. She undid one… two… three. Maura looked up and Jane was indeed staring at her with anticipation; both of her hands tightly gripping the bedspread.

"Oh. I better change in the bathroom, huh?" Maura asked innocently.

"That'd be a good idea," Jane raggedly replied.

The huskiness of the brunette's voice along with her stare made Maura's body involuntarily shiver. There was that look again. The same one she had encountered when they were eye to eye in the girl's bathroom at school. Jane seemed as though she was going to leap off the bed any moment and pounce her. The tension between them was thick.

Before anything more could transpire, Maura grabbed her bag and went inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Maura blew out a breath. Maybe Maura was playing with fire. Maybe this was not a good idea after all. Jane was making her feel… fuck, she did not know what she was feeling. Crazy? Out of control? Especially, when Jane seemed to bore a hole into her soul with the intensity of her stare. The blonde looked down at her hands and realized she had been fidgeting with them since she entered the restroom. She stopped and quickly put her hands at her sides. She never fidgeted. That was the effect Jane was having on her. The blonde shook away her thoughts and began her preparations for bed.

Twenty minutes later, Maura was finally dressed in her emerald button up pajama top and matching pants made of silk; her face free of makeup. Maura opened the door and suddenly froze at the sight that greeted her across the room. Her eyes widened and heart fluttered before she quickly closed the door to hide herself, leaving it slightly ajar. Slowly, she leaned over looking through the crack into the bedroom. Good. Jane had not seen or heard her. When Maura had opened the bathroom door initially, Jane was taking off her shirt. That must have been why Jane was unaware of her. The brunette was standing halfway out of her closet in only her jeans and a sports bra.

Maura knew Jane was fit but she had no idea she was ripped. Jane's upper body was practically a sculpture. A perfect physical specimen of the female form. Jane reached over for a shirt on the railing and the definition in Jane's muscles left the blonde breathless. Maura could not take her eyes off the brunette. She bit her bottom lip as she pictured herself running her hands across that chiseled abdomen. Suddenly, Jane raised her eyes and looked towards the bathroom. In a panic, Maura quickly backed away and slammed the door shut. Did Jane see her? Maura prayed that was not the case. Why was she gawking like that anyway? What was wrong with her?

The blonde took another five minutes to collect herself before opening the door once more. She began to step out but stopped suddenly. Jane was standing there, blocking the doorway. She was now wearing an old softball shirt and cotton shorts. "Oh, Jane. You scared me," Maura breathed, placing a hand over her heart.

When the brunette did not respond, Maura looked into Jane's dark brown eyes and found an amused gleam shining in them.

"What?" Maura asked.

The smile on Jane's face spread a little wider, but she still said nothing. She only continued to look at Maura, amused. As if she were withholding some secret or inside joke. Maura waited for a response and wondered why Jane was looking at her that way.

"Nothing," Jane finally replied with a smirk. "Can I have my bathroom now, or are you stayin' in there all night?"

"Uh, no, I'm done."

They walked past each other and Jane turned in the doorway, facing the bedroom. "Are you ordinarily a peeping Tom?"

Maura's face fell and her eyes widened. She whipped around, facing the brunette. "Excuse me?" She felt a blush spreading over her features.

Jane gave a toothy grin and shook her head before closing the bathroom door. Maura had been caught. She felt embarrassed, ashamed, and surprisingly… naughty. Jane knew. And a part of her did not care.

Ten minutes later, Jane opened the door and shut off the light. Before completely exiting the bathroom, she stopped at the sight on her bed. Maura was already under the covers, sitting up against the headboard.

The blonde looked at Jane and felt her heart rate speed up. This had started out as a game to tease Jane but now she felt nervous about the thought of being in the same bed with the brunette. And judging by Jane's hesitation and look on her face, the brunette seemed to be having the same apprehension.

Suddenly, Jane snapped her fingers and smiled broadly. "I know." She hurried over to her closet.

Maura watched her, confused. The brunette was rustling around for a while, cursing to herself when a few items fell over. Obviously, whatever she was after was buried under a few things. Finally, the brunette emerged, holding what she was after.

Maura's mouth hung open. Jane smiled at her and headed towards the other side of the bed.

"That's cheating, Jane."

The brunette happily rolled out a large sleeping bag on the floor. "No, it's not. We're still sleeping in the same room together." Jane got down on her knees, straightening out her makeshift bed.

The blonde did not know whether to be disappointed or relieved. But it still was not going to stop her from having her fun. "You don't want to sleep with me?" Maura smiled.

Jane looked up at her with an expression that said, 'are you kidding me?' Maura wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Jane shook her and climbed to her feet. "You're evil… and dangerous."

Maura chuckled softly as Jane walked over to the switch on the wall and shut off the light. The only thing lighting the room now was the television. Maura sank down into the sheets of Jane's bed. It was not as comfortable as her Queen-size temper thermic, but it would do. On the floor, Maura heard Jane settling herself in the sleeping bag.

"Jane you should sleep up here. The bed will be so much more comfortable."

"I'm fine down here."

"Are you?"

"Yep. You want to keep watching TV?"

"No."

Jane grabbed her remote from the nightstand above her and clicked of the television. It became dark in the room. Only a small amount of moonlight filtering from behind the window blinds.

"You know," Maura began. "I read in a Scientific Finds Digest that sleeping on the ground has some healthy benefits to the spine."

"Is that so?" Jane sleepily replied.

"Yes, it is. However, I feel this is taking away from our sleepover experience. Come up here, Jane this is silly."

"No."

"Why not?" Maura frowned.

"Because you're there."

Maura smiled to herself. "I'll let you feel me up."

"Urgh.." Jane growled lowly. "Shut it, Bora."

"There's no need for name calling, Jane," Maura replied, no longer effected by the nickname. Jane sighed heavily and Maura could hear her annoyance.

"Oh, I have an idea."

"What?" Jane mumbled.

"How about you come up here and show me what a real woman you are?"

"Maura, if you don't shut your mouth, I'm gonna fucking go downstairs and sleep on the couch."

Maura chuckled. "Okay, okay, fine. Don't be such a baby. And don't curse."

Jane huffed loudly and pounded out her pillow, attempting to make it more comfortable. It was silent for a few more moments.

"How often does your mother call you baby?"

"Okay, that's it!" Jane growled, climbing to her feet.

"No, Jane… I'm sorry," Maura tried, between giggles as Jane headed for the door. "Come back!" Maura climbed out of the bed and rushed over to Jane, grabbing her wrist before the brunette opened the bedroom door. "Wait. I'll stop."

Jane stopped but did not turn around. Silence.

"Will you come back?" Maura asked.

Jane slowly turned and looked down at Maura's hand on her wrist before meeting the blonde's gaze. Maura could somewhat make out Jane's features. Jane's gaze was dark and looked even more dangerous in the bluish grey moonlight that provided them little light.

"Maura…" Jane breathed.

Maura studied the seriousness in the brunette's eyes. "What?" Maura quietly whispered back.

"I really… really wanna kiss you right now."

Maura's breath caught and she could have sworn her heart stopped as well. She slipped her hand from around Jane's wrist; the nerves and muscles in her hands too shaky to function. "You do?" She softly asked.

Jane nodded silently and kept her eyes locked with Maura's.

"Is… is that what you were going to say to me that day… in the bathroom?" Maura whispered back.

"Yes…" Jane breathed. "Well… it's one of the things…"

Maura lowered her eyes for a moment. She not only needed to break the intensity of Jane's eyes on her but also time to collect herself. She raised her eyes again. "Come here, Jane." The blonde whispered. Maura raised her hand and crooked her finger, urging Jane to come closer.

She could hear Jane's ragged breathing as the brunette leaned her face closer to Maura's. Maura could feel Jane's heat and the energy of her nervous anticipation. Jane was just inches away from placing her lips against the blonde's when at the last second, Maura turned her head away and placed her mouth was near Jane's ear.

"Fight it," she whispered.

Maura took a step back and looked into Jane's eyes. The brunette looked like a kid who had just had their favorite toy taken from them.

Maura smiled on the inside, but kept her expression sure and in control. "I think the sleeping bag was a good idea. Goodnight, Jane." The blonde then turned around and walked back to the bed. She climbed in and covered herself up, laying on her side. Jane had remained where she was, standing silently as she looked after Maura. As if she were in a state of shock or paralysis.

Maura listened carefully for Jane's next move. Nail-biting silence filled the room for what felt like forever. After a minute, Maura finally heard Jane move further into the room, then heard the sound of the sleeping bag. Jane had decided to stay.

Maura was a kind-hearted person and had a gentle soul but it would be a cold day in hell before she had any sympathy for Jane Rizzoli. Just because Jane was bold enough to confess her desires did not mean Maura was going to roll over and give in. Especially, for her. She was a lady. And Jane had been nothing but a menace to her. So, sympathy? Sympathy could go screw itself. She knew Jane had undoubtedly become aroused but that was the whole point. She wanted to be available yet unattainable. A tease. It was her turn. Maura thought of all this as she laid awake in the dark, quiet bedroom. Her only problem…

The blonde closed her eyes and shook her head. A part of her had wanted Jane kiss her.

* * *

Maura's eyes slowly fluttered open to see a poster of a Boston Celtics player in front of her. She was confused for a second before remembering where she was. Jane's room. Jane. Thoughts of last night came to mind. How she had totally tricked the brunette into thinking she had a chance. Maura could still feel the heat of Jane's body and how close it was to her own. It was then that Maura realized she actually felt heat and weight against her stomach and entire right side. Maura turned her head and saw Jane's face just a few inches away from her own. She was still asleep. How did Jane get in the bed? When? Maura thought back and something suddenly clicked. She could foggily remember Jane awakening her at some odd hours in the morning, telling her to scoot over. The brunette had said something about it being too cold on the floor. Jane had sleepily mumbled, "It's my room and my bed. I don't see why I have to suffer." Without a second thought, Maura had moved over and Jane climbed in beside her. She was so tired she was barely aware of the fact that Jane was in bed with her and she soon fell back to sleep. She thought it had been a dream. Now, awake she was fully aware that it had not been.

Maura felt warmth against her stomach, above her belly button. She looked down and was shocked to see Jane's hand was slipped under her silk top and was resting against her skin. It must have happened sometime during the night. Maura almost chuckled at the irony. She had teased Jane the night before and now Jane was well on her way to second base and had no idea. Maura glanced at Jane once more. To her relief, Jane was breathing steadily, still asleep.

Just as Maura was reaching down to remove Jane's hand, the brunette's fingers moved slightly, causing Maura to freeze. She looked over at Jane. The brunette's face was still neutral, eyes closed. Maura went to try once more but her breath caught as she felt Jane's entire hand begin to move. The blonde laid still as Jane's hand slowly moved up her stomach, stopped a few inches up and then moved back down to its original spot. As the motion was repeated, Maura felt her body begin to shiver and she involuntarily closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel. Jane's hand was soft, yet rough and strong. Most likely from her years of sports and playing rough with the boys. Maura's heart was beating in her ears and she felt as though her body was overheating. Maura wanted to make it stop but it felt good and wrong at the same time. She knew she should not let this continue but the thrill was… overwhelming.

With her eyes still closed, Maura tried desperately to control her breathing. Jane's hand was now making slow circles across her abdomen that were becoming wider and bolder. A soft moan slipped from her lips as she felt a foreign sensation between her legs. A throbbing. Why did this feel so amazing? Why was she letting this happen? Jane's hand refrained from circling and began to inch further upward. The action shifted Maura's top, exposing her soft stomach to the open air. The sound of Maura's ragged breathing filled the room as Jane's hand inched toward her left breast. Closer… closer…

The sensation suddenly became too much for Maura and she gripped Jane's wrist, stopping the progression. She hurriedly pushed the brunette's hand from her body and faster than the roadrunner in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon, Maura was out of the bed and in the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

She had her shoulders hunched, gripping the bathroom counter, trying to control her breathing. "Oh, my gosh…Oh, my gosh…" she breathed in a chant, trying to control her racing heart.

Did Jane just feel her up in her sleep? Did Maura just let her? The blonde's head was spinning a million miles per hour. Her heart was thumping double time. What was wrong with her? Why did she let it go on for so long? Maura shook her head. Jane was asleep she reasoned. It was an honest mistake. Honest mistake? Then why did Maura almost let her… Maura covered her eyes with both hands, embarrassed of herself. A part of her wanted it to happen, but the good girl inside of her panicked and took refuge; which was the right thing to do, Maura decided. She removed her hands from her face and looked at herself with pride and dignity before giving herself a reassuring nod.

"It was the right thing…" she said to herself.

The blonde stepped over to the tub and turned on the water. Maybe she would feel better after a shower.

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**A/N: Always love to hear your thoughts oh lovely readers.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Happy reading all. It took a while to write this one.**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 6**

Wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt, with slightly wet hair, Maura finally emerged from the bathroom. The first thing she saw upon entering the room was Jane sitting up in the bed, rubbing the heels of her hands against her eyes. From the looks of it, the brunette was just waking up, but Maura was not completely convinced. No one could touch… or caress someone like that while they were sleeping. Could they? Maura remained by the open doorway of the bathroom and cleared her throat making her presence known. Jane looked over at her with sleepy eyes.

"I thought I heard the shower," Jane yawned, noticing Maura damp hair.

"Yeah, I just got out," the blonde shakily replied.

Jane raised her arms in the air and with a groan, stretching out her back. The blonde's eyes lingered over Jane's upper body and felt her heart skip a beat as she thought of 'shirtless Jane' from last night and perfectly sculpted abs. She averted her gaze and bit her lower lip. She could barely look at Jane, remembering what had transpired about forty minutes ago. "Um, Jane? How… how long have you been awake?"

Jane lowered her arms and looked over at Maura, eyes half open and hair a wild mess. "I literally just woke up," she replied in a voice, raspier than usual. Maura gave Jane a disbelieving and unsure look. Jane raised a questioning eyebrow in response. "Why?"

Maura felt her cheeks turning red as she remembered the feel of Jane's hand running up and down her body. Was Jane actually sleeping through all that? She studied Jane's expression and the brunette looked at her, totally clueless.

"Uh, um. No reason," Maura feigned a smile and shook her head. She walked towards the door. "I think I heard your mother downstairs preparing breakfast. I think I'll go help."

Before Jane could say another word to her she was out of the room within seconds. Maura stepped down the stairs and she noticed the house was eerily quiet. It was very unusual compared to the ruckus the Rizzoli family created in the later hours of the day. As she walked towards the kitchen she heard someone moving about. She opened the door and as she suspected, Angela was indeed preparing breakfast. The older woman looked up and smiled brightly.

"Maura! Good morning."

"Good morning, Mrs. Rizzoli," Maura smiled, walking into the kitchen. She leaned her hands on the counter, standing by the island opposite from Angela.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Uh…" Maura's thoughts went to the incident with Jane momentarily before she answered. She quickly discarded it from her mind. "Yes, of course. I slept wonderfully."

"Oh, good. I was worried if Jane's bed was too lumpy."

"It was fine."

"What are you doing up?"

"Well, I tend to wake up early naturally, so I thought I'd help you with breakfast. If you don't mind?"

"Why would I mind? It would be nice to have help for a change. I've been a mother for seventeen years and none of my children had ever offered to help me cook."

"Never?"

Angela shook her head. "Never. The boys want nothing to do with it. I've tried to show Jane a thing or two, but she won't have it. She'd rather get her hands dirty, helping her father with plumbing jobs."

Maura nodded in understanding. Jane did not seem like the domestic type.

"Do you help your mother cook?"

"Oh, well. Not exactly. Sometimes I enjoy watching our cook, Philip, put together dishes. I've always wanted to help but I was never allowed."

"Wow, you have a cook?" Maura gave a simple nod. "That's fancy. Well, in the Rizzoli house, help is more than welcome. Come on over."

Maura beamed happily and joined Angela on the other side of the island. Under Angela's instruction, Maura quickly caught on and the two were soon a team in the kitchen.

As Maura stirred the batter for the pancakes, a question came to mind. "Mrs. Rizzoli? Is Jane usually restless sleeper?"

"Restless?"

"Yes, like does she often move around while sleeping? Kick or… use her hands?" Maura averted her eyes during the last part of her question.

"Oh, never! When Janey is out she's out. The girl sleeps like a rock. You don't ever want to see me when I have to wake her in the morning for school. Talk about a zombie," Angela laughed.

Maura chuckled as well, but was confused. With that new information, Maura now knew there was a good possibility Jane was awake while she was... The blonde felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. She suddenly felt uncomfortable feeling this way, especially in front of Jane's mother. As soon as she was done helping with breakfast, she planned to take leave from the Rizzoli home. She needed to regroup and put her head on straight. And not think about Jane touching her every time she looked at her.

After another twenty minutes, breakfast was done and Angela made sure everyone in the house knew by declaring it loudly up the staircase. Within ten minutes, Tommy and Frankie burst into the kitchen. Maura watched in surprise as the boys began to dig into their pancakes with fervor. Minutes later, Jane came into the kitchen. She was more awake but not by much.

"Morning, Janey. Your nose is looking better. How does it feel?"

The brunette shrugged as she sat down. "A little tender, but I'll live."

Maura watched from where she was standing by the kitchen counter as Jane cut into her pancake. She was still very suspicious of the brunette.

"Maura, here's your plate," Angela said, setting down the food in front of the seat beside Jane.

"Thank you, Mrs. Rizzoli, but I really must go."

"What are you talking about? Come eat."

"I'd like to, but I… I…" Maura was a horrible liar. And before she could even attempt to say she had errands to run, Mrs. Rizzoli didn't give her a chance.

"I won't have that, Maura. Now, sit down and eat. I will not have a guest leave my house with an empty stomach."

Maura was not sure whether to be relieved that Mrs. Rizzoli prevented her from lying or upset that she had to accept defeat and reluctantly sit down next to Jane.

"Now, you all eat up. Maura even helped prepare this meal, unlike all of you."

"Oh, come on, Ma," Jane complained. "It's too early to bust our balls."

"Jane, I don't like that mouth at the breakfast table. Now eat your food."

"Yeah, Janey," Tommy chuckled. "You don't have balls anyway."

Frankie snickered.

"Shut up, Tommy," Jane growled.

"All of you shut up. This is no way to behave in front of a guest." With a shake of her head, Angela turned with a frustrated sigh and began cleaning up the kitchen.

Maura could see Jane looking at her out the corner of her eye.

"Why the big hurry to leave? Yesterday, I couldn't get rid of you to save my life."

"Yes, well. It's just… it's nothing," Maura got out, barely able to look Jane's way.

"Did I do something?"

Maura heard a hint of amusement in Jane's voice and raised her eyes to meet the brunette's. "Did you?" Maura shot back in question. As if she was interrogating Jane.

Jane looked at her for a moment and then a slow smirk formed on her lips. Their eyes remained locked for a moment before Jane bit off a piece of her bacon and turned back to her plate. Maura frowned at her. Jane was obviously messing with her.

Breakfast went relatively well, despite Jane's obvious amusement. Tommy and Frankie exchanged their usual banter and included Maura in on the conversation. When the meal was over, Maura insisted that she had to leave. Tommy and Frankie said their goodbyes and Jane walked Maura to her car, per her mother's demand.

Jane and Maura were now out front, standing near the blonde's car. "Thank you for the sleepover from hell. Goodbye," Jane began to walk away.

"I know you were awake."

Jane spun around, facing Maura. "What?"

"This morning. In your bed. You were awake when…" Maura felt herself blushing and lowered her gaze.

"When what?"

"You know."

"Maura, I have no idea what you're talking about unless you finish your sentence."

"You were… _touching_ me. And I know you were awake because your mother told me you're a heavy sleeper. You're not restless. So, I suspect that you were awake."

Jane locked eyes with the blonde and took the few steps to stand directly in front of Maura. "Okay," Jane calmly began. "Maybe I was awake."

Maura's mouth gaped open with an audible gasp.

"Oh, come on, Maura. What did you expect, really?"

"Restraint," Maura shot back, accusatorily.

"That _was _restraint, believe me." Jane breathed. "A hot girl was in my bed. I would have to be a fucking idiot not to do anything."

Maura frowned slightly. "I really dislike it when you curse."

"Tough. And for the record, you weren't exactly stopping me."

Maura opened her mouth slightly in shock. "I did stop you."

Jane smirked lightly. "Not right away."

The blonde saw the satisfaction in Jane's face and she shook her head. "I had a… a minor lapse in my rational thinking," Maura sputtered. "And I no longer wish to discuss this," she defiantly shot back.

"Why not?"

"Because it's inappropriate."

Jane chuckled heartily. "Inappropriate? Right. But watching me undress isn't?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know you were lookin' at me from the bathroom last night when my shirt was off. It was pretty hilarious when you slammed the door shut by the way."

"I… I was not looking at you," Maura defended.

"You so were."

"I was not, I…" Maura suddenly felt that familiar itchiness around her neck and chest. Oh, no. Her breathing suddenly became a bit shallow she began to scratch at her skin.

Jane noticed the sudden change in the blonde's behavior and looked at her confused. "Whoa, what's… what's going on?"

Maura began to breathe in and out in quick intervals and she could feel the hives forming on her body. "Nothing, I'm… I'm fine." Another lie. The itching became worse.

"You don't look fine. Are you having a panic attack or something?" Jane frowned with concern.

Maura fanned herself with her hand and shook her head. "Not exactly. Just… give me a second…" the blonde breathed.

Jane stood there, not sure what to do as Maura attempted to catch her breath. "Should I call the ambulance?"

Maura shook her head once again and leaned her weight back against her car. After a minute or so, her breathing returned to normal.

"You okay? Do you need something?" Jane asked.

"No," Maura sighed. "I'm fine, now."

"What the hell just happened?"

"I was… hyperventilating," Maura breathed. "It tends to happen to me when I'm nervous or… tell a lie."

"That… sucks."

"Yes, it does…" Maura began, standing up straight and taking a cleansing breath. "Now… I'll see you at school tomorrow. We should sit together at lunch." Maura opened her door and slid into the car, but Jane grabbed the door before she could close it.

"Wait a second, what?" Jane frowned. "You still wanna play this game with me? Even after your little hyper attack thingy?"

Maura looked up at Jane and held the brunette's gaze. "Do you still want to kiss me?"

Jane regarded her silently and folded her arms. She knew damn well Jane still wanted her.

"That's what I thought. You can't get rid of me that easily. Until tomorrow," Maura smiled.

Jane took a step back as Maura closed the car door and drove off.

* * *

At school the follow day, Maura was unable to find Jane in the morning. She had no idea where the brunette hung out before classes started. However, she finally spotted her in the cafeteria during lunch. Jane was sitting at a table across from guy Maura had not seen before. Not that she really paid attention, but she was sure he was not in any of her classes.

Maura confidently strode over to the two teens and stood by their table. "Hello, Jane."

The brunette practically choked on the milk in her mouth as she heard the familiar voice behind her. She cleared her throat and reluctantly looked up. "Maura," she said.

Maura turned to the guy sitting across from Jane and smiled politely. "Hello. Maura Isles," the blonde said, introducing herself.

The boy was gapping at her and accidently dropped the French fry he was holding into his lap. "Yeah, I know who you are," he finally replied.

"You do?" Maura furrowed her brows.

"Oh, I definitely do," he grinned. His smile soon faded when he caught the death glare Jane was shooting his way. He turned his attention back to Maura. "Anyway, I'm Barry, but my friends just call me Frost."

"Well, no offense to your friends, but I prefer to call you Barry if that's okay?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Great, I'm glad we're all friends," Jane sarcastically interrupted. "Now, is there something I can do for you, Maura?"

"Well, Jane. As we discussed yesterday, I'm joining you for lunch," Maura smiled. "Especially, since we're friends now."

"Friends? When did this happen?" Frost asked.

"Over forty-eight hours ago," Maura thoughtfully replied.

"Really," Frost said, scratching his chin with intrigue.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Just sit down."

The blonde took a seat next the Jane, placing her lunch bag on the table.

Frost leaned forward in her seat. "So, Maura. How did this friendship between you and Jane come to be?"

Just as Maura was about to answer, Jane interrupted. "It's… a long story, which I will fill you in about it later, Frost," Jane growled.

"You're damn right, you'll fill me in."

Maura smiled lightly with amusement as she pulled a yogurt from her lunch bag.

"So, Jane. After school I wanted to stop by the parlor. Will you come with?"

Jane chuckled lightly. "You need me to be your wingman again? I'm not going if you're not going to actually do it this time."

"I will!" Frost insisted.

Maura was totally lost on the conversation. Frost looked her way and smiled lightly. "Maybe I could do with a kinder wingman. Maura, would you like to come with us, after school?"

"Frost…" Jane growled.

"I'm sorry. To which parlor?" Maura questioned.

"It's an ice cream parlor just a few miles up the road from here."

"Oh! I would be delighted to come."

"Ugh…" Jane groaned.

"Jane? Do you have a problem with me inviting Maura to come with us?"

"What? Oh, no, no. She's been invading every other aspect of my life, why not my friends too."

"Of course she doesn't mind." Maura raised her hand to the brunette's cheek and pinched it lightly, giving it a shake. "Because we are the best of friends and you adore me," Maura cooed.

Jane feigned a smile. "Stop touching me unless you want to lose some fingers," the brunette sneered between her teeth.

Maura chuckled and removed her hand, placing it on the brunette's shoulder instead. "Jane, you're so silly," she said, rubbing the brunette's shoulder.

Frost was looking at the two girls like they were nuts. "Okay… this is too weird. Uh, Jane. Could I speak to you a second? Excuse us, Maura."

Jane slithered from Maura's touch and stood from the table. Maura smiled after her as the brunette walked a ways with Frost. The blonde could still see them but they were now out of earshot. As she ate her yogurt, Maura watched as Frost was speaking animatedly and gesturing with his hands. Jane was replying back to him in a similar fashion. After a moment, Frost was shaking his head and talking calmly. Maura knew their discussion was about her and was sure Jane was telling her friend the whole story. They soon returned to the table and took their seats.

"Sorry about that, Maura. Anyway, you cool with going with us after school?"

"Frost? What the fuck?!" Jane interjected. "You're still inviting her even after what I just told you?"

Frost shrugged. "I think Maura's actions are justified… even if it is killing you." He looked at Maura and gave her a wink.

"Why, thank you, Barry," the blonde smiled.

Jane huffed loudly and folded her arms like a pouty five year old.

"So are you up for being my second wingman?" Barry smiled.

"That's my next question. What exactly is a wingman?"

Jane scoffed. "Yeah, a lesson in 'Maura Isles' vocabulary, Frost. She's not up to speed with the average teenage slang."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to speak properly, Jane."

"Whatever."

Maura turned her attention back to Frost, ignoring the brunette. "You were saying?"

"Uh…" Frost looked between the two girls for a moment and then continued. "Well, a wingman is basically there for you when you're attempting to ask someone out, for support and…" Frost gave a shy shrug that Maura found enduring. "There's this girl I've wanted to talk to that works at the parlor."

"He's already talked to her. He just hasn't had the balls to ask her out yet."

"Shut up, Jane. You're one to talk."

That statement knocked the smile off Jane's face and she leaned back in her seat. Jane sheepishly glanced Maura's way and quickly averted her eyes. "Just finish what you were saying," she mumbled.

"Anyway, you and Jane would be my support if things go bad. My wingmen… or wing-gals."

"That's so sweet, Barry. I'd love to be one of your wingmen," Maura happily complied.

"Great!"

"Yeah, great…" Jane mumbled.

* * *

Maura's last class of the day was Anatomy, which she shared with Jane. Maura had taken her usual seat in the front of the class, while Jane sat in the back left corner. She never did understand why some students preferred to sit in the back. It's harder to hear the teacher, the board can't be seen that well, and engaging in eye contact with the teacher would be near to impossible. Maura thought about that for a moment. Oh… that is probably why Jane sat back there. If the brunette disliked school as much as Maura imagined she did, that would make sense.

When the bell rang, concluding the day's lesson, Maura went up to the teacher to ask a few questions. By the time she was done speaking, the class was empty. Even Jane was gone. This posed as a problem since Maura was unclear where to meet Jane and Frost after school. The blonde walked out of the classroom. Suddenly, someone tapped on her shoulder which practically made her jump out of her skin. She quickly turned around to see Jane smirking at her.

Maura placed a hand over her heart and released a heavy breath.

Jane's smirk waned when she read the apprehension and anxiety on Maura's face. "Chill, it's just me."

"Yes, I'm fully aware it's you, Jane," Maura sighed, catching her breath.

"Wow," Jane chuckled lightly. "Did I freak you out that much?"

"Frankly, yes." Maura replied, gripping her books a bit tighter to her body. "You surprised me. I suppose it's just a natural reaction to seeing you after class, because usually about now you're humiliating me in some way or verbally abusing me. So yes, it 'freaked me out' as you say."

"Oh…" Jane softly spoke with realization.

Maura had not meant to react the way she had but after two years of expecting Jane to jump out from every corner, she became it bit rattled and her walls of caution went up. It was not as if Maura was scared or frightened of Jane. She wasn't. She had just been taken by surprise. And seeing Jane standing there with that smirk on her face, automatically placed her in that vulnerable position of being the victim.

Jane sheepishly stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jeans and momentarily lowered her eyes from Maura's. The blonde noticed Jane's body language and saw that the brunette seemed a bit hesitant now. As though she did not want to make any sudden movements that would spook Maura any further.

"Well, I'm not, I mean…" Jane shuffled her feet. "I'm not gonna do anything to you. Not anymore, anyway…" she gently replied.

This was not quite an apology but Maura accepted it with a nod of her head. "Right, I know."

"Uh…" Jane raised a hand and scratched the back of her neck. "Frost is waiting for us in the parking lot. Come on."

Maura followed the brunette and soon fell into walking pace with her. They walked down the long corridor, brushing past several other students who were in a hurry to leave the building. When they were finally outside, Jane was the first to speak.

"Did you drive to school today?"

"No. I've never driven to school actually. My mother prefers that I use a driver."

"Why? You have a such a sweet ride."

Maura was slow to understand Jane's lingo but then caught on that Jane was referring to her car. "Yes," the blonde nodded with a small smile. "However, this is how I've always arrived to school. Mother just has a way for how things should be done."

"Hmm. Well, I guess if I could have a driver that chauffeured me to school every day I wouldn't let it go to waste."

Maura smiled lightly at that. She thought for sure that Jane was going to give her a hard time about driving herself to school and that she was just a spoiled rich girl. They soon met Frost in the school parking lot and they were off.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for still reading everyone. Love to hear your thoughts.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 7**

**A/N: Hey, I had stuff to do. I won't always post right on time my lovely readers. Mostly, because I don't want to just pop out a meaningless chapter and rush it. You know? Happy reading!**

* * *

The three teenagers walked into the mildly busy ice cream parlor and took a seat at an empty booth. Maura and Frost sat side by side, while Jane sat across from them. Frost's eyes immediately looked over Jane's shoulder towards the front counter. Maura followed his line of sight and saw he was staring at an attractive girl that looked to be their age helping a customer. She had a bright smile and a warm presence. Maura could even tell that just from observing her from across the room.

Jane smirked at Frost as he longingly looked at the girl behind the counter. "So, are you going?"

Frost tore his eyes away from his dream girl and blew out a breath. "I... I need a minute."

"Times a wastin' Frosty boy," Jane egged on.

Maura looked at Frost and noticed the young man was fidgeting with his hands and taking large breaths through his nose. He was trying to calm himself. "You shouldn't pressure him, Jane," the blonde lightly scolded.

"I'm not," Jane shrugged, her voice going up an octave.

"No, it's cool, Maura. I said I'd do this today and I will," Frost said.

Maura glanced towards the girl once more and smiled softly, before turning back to Frost. "She's pretty. What's here name?"

"Annie," Frost replied with a goofy grin. "I met her a couple months ago."

"And he's been drooling over her ever since." Jane looked behind her towards the counter before turning back. "Here's your chance. She's not helping a customer. Go for it."

"I… I can't," Frost stuttered.

"What?"

"Sure you can." Suddenly, an idea came to Maura. "How about we all go up there together and order something? Would that make you feel a little more comfortable?"

Frost gave a nod. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Jane?" Maura asked.

"Alright…" Jane relented, sliding out of the booth.

They walked up to the counter, Frost stood in the middle while Jane and Maura stood on either side of him. Almost instantly, they were greeted by a dazzling smile. "Hello, Jane. _Hi _Barry." The girl said with a little friendly flirt.

"What's up, Annie," Frost replied with a relaxed smile. Even though Maura knew he was covering how terrified he truly was.

Annie grinned at him before, turning her attention to Maura. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

"No, we haven't. I'm Maura."

"Oh…" Annie's smile seemed to falter slightly as she looked between Maura and Frost. "It's nice to meet you."

Maura could tell that Annie was assuming that she was possibly dating Frost. "I'm a friend of Barry's. _Only _a friend," she reiterated with a grin. "Actually, we only just met four hours ago."

"Way to be settle," Jane mumbled.

However, Maura's words seemed to please Annie and her smile returned with full force. "Great! So, can I get you all something?"

"Yeah, I'll just have the chocolate and vanilla swirl," Jane said.

"A small strawberry yogurt, please," Maura smiled.

Annie turned to Frost and smiled. "I know, Barry. Rocky road, right?"

Frost grinned from ear to ear and nodded. "You remembered."

She winked at him and said she would return soon with their orders. Jane softly bumped Frost in the arm. "You're so in there, Frost. She likes you."

"I don't know…" he shrugged unsure.

"You don't know?!" Jane quietly shrieked, so Annie would not overhear. "She winked at you."

"She is quite fond of you, Barry," Maura agreed. "You should have no problem receiving an affirmative reply when asking for an outing with her."

Jane leaned forward and looked at her. "An affirmative? Really?"

Maura shrugged not understanding what she said wrong.

Frost smile softly and shyly looked at Annie as she prepared their desserts. "She's really great. I'd love to take her out. But what if she has a guy already?"

"There's only one way to find out," Jane replied.

Annie soon arrived at the counter and Frost paid for their ice cream. Jane and Maura thanked her before heading back to their seats.

Frost stood frozen at the counter for a moment and then finally spoke. "Th… thanks, Annie," he stuttered.

"You're very welcome, Barry," Annie smiled.

Losing his nerve, he nodded his head and turned to follow his friends. However, Jane stood firm, blocking his path. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she turned him back towards the counter.

"Uh, Annie?" Jane asked. "Frost has something he would like to ask you."

Annie looked expectantly at Frost and he smiled nervously.

Jane leaned close to her friend. "You've got this buddy. We'll be right over there."" She patted him on the shoulder and walked back over to the booth with Maura, sitting across from the blonde.

"I wonder if he'll really ask this time," Jane said with a snort.

The blonde smiled lightly at Jane. "That was really nice."

"What?"

"It was obvious Barry was going to surpass his chance to ask Annie out, but you made sure he went through with it. You didn't have to do that."

Jane shrugged and dug her spoon into her ice cream. "Yes, I did. Otherwise I'd have to hear him afterwards, blubber on about how he should have asked her. He just needed a little push."

Maura leaned her hand against her chin and looked at Frost and Annie chatting and giggling. "That is so wonderful that Barry had the courage to talk to the girl he has feelings for."

"Yeah, I'm proud of him."

Maura scooped some of her ice cream and put it in her mouth. She had not had the delectable treat in so long it made her taste buds scream with enjoyment. An involuntary moan escaped her lips and she closed her eyes.

"Mmm, that is so good," Maura professed.

When she opened her eyes, Jane was looking straight at her. Well, her mouth anyway. Maura realized this and slowly slid her tongue along the spoon, licking up whatever was left.

Jane audibly swallowed before clearing her throat. She shook her head and lowered her eyes. "I'm always learning something new when I'm around you."

"Really? Such as?"

"In this case? Never eat ice cream with you."

Maura chuckled lightly before swirling her tongue around another spoonful of ice cream and placing it in her mouth.

Jane watched and her eyes temporarily widened at the sight, but then quickly morphed into to a scowl. "You don't have to eat your ice cream that way, you know…"

Maura quirked an innocent eyebrow. "What way? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Jane shook her head slowly, keeping her eyes locked on Maura's lips. "No, not uncomfortable… something else…" she rasped.

Maura felt her breath catch in her throat at Jane's honest reply. However, she was saved from having to respond when Frost suddenly walked up to the table. They looked up to see a solemn expression on his face.

"Frost?" Jane frowned with concern.

"Barry, what happened? Sit down." Maura said.

Frost plopped down next to Maura and lowered his eyes.

"Frost, talk to us."

Suddenly, a smile broke across the young man's face and he sat up straight. "We have a date Saturday night!" He declared.

"Oh! You faker!" Jane grinned. "We thought you were rejected."

Maura smiled and chuckled lightly.

"Nope," he shook his head. The smile on his face had yet to falter. "She said yes. I just feel so… man, I can't describe it. It's like I can breathe now."

"That's dramatically poetic," Jane chuckled.

"I think it's sweet," Maura commented.

Jane rolled her eyes. "So, where are you taking her?"

"I guess a movie," he shrugged. "Just keep it simple. Maybe dinner?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"That's romantic," Maura beamed.

"Yeah, if you think the McDonald's around the corner is romantic," Jane snickered.

"Hey!" Frost interjected.

"Must you contradict everything I say, Jane?" Maura asked.

"Yes, I must," Jane snobbishly replied, receiving a scowl from Maura.

"Besides," Frost began. "I've got more game than that, Jane. I know how to romance a lady."

Jane only chuckled and shook her head.

Maura glanced at Jane and then turned to Frost. "So tell me, Barry…" she began. "When you realized you had feelings for Annie, how did you approach her?"

"Well… I don't know. I just… spoke to her," he shrugged. "Said hello, had small talk, you know. That's when I realized she was more than just a pretty face."

"Hmm, interesting. So, you didn't _pick_ on her or call her names to gain her attention?" She glanced Jane's way and the brunette furrowed her brows at her.

"Uh… no," Frost said, slightly confused. "That would be pretty messed up. I mean, you have to show respect."

"Yes, you do… always a priority. That's wonderful that you have that maturity, Barry."

"Maura, do you have something you want to say to me?" Jane said between her teeth.

Maura turned to regard the brunette. "I'm sorry, Jane but I'm talking to Barry."

"I think you're talking to me," Jane shot back.

"I should probably exit this conversation," Frost warily stated. He began to slide out of the booth.

"No, Barry. You can stay. I assume Jane has already told you about our arrangement."

Barry sheepishly shrugged before nodding the affirmative.

Jane crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Okay. What do you wanna say, Maura?"

"As you heard Frost state, he simply _spoke_ to Annie when he approached her. That's all. He had no expectations, he did not pretend to be someone he's not… he was just straight forward."

"Okay… what does that have to do with me?" Jane shrugged.

"Oh, boy…" Frost murmured.

"Everything!" Maura frowned, feeling irritation burn within her. "I'm talking about you and me, Jane. Why couldn't you just talk to me? You had to resort to bullying me?"

Jane suddenly seemed caught off guard. "I…"

"For you to use all this time and energy to make me miserable, you obviously feel something towards me. So, what was it? Hate? Lust?"

"OH! Kay…" Frost cut in. "I really need to… use the bathroom," he stated before making himself scarce.

Jane let out a nervous chuckle and ran a hand through her dark locks. "Wow… um… you're just cuttin' to the chase, huh?"

Maura looked straight at Jane, unflinching. "You wanted to _kiss_ me last night, Jane." Maura could see the slight blush forming on the brunette's cheeks. "What did that mean?"

Jane sighed with exasperation. "Why are you puttin' me on the spot like this? Why now?"

"Because I still have a lot of unanswered questions."

They looked into each other's eyes.

"Was there a meaning behind your persistent bullying of me, Jane?"

Another pause.

"Just be honest with me," Maura finally said, easing the tone of her voice.

The brunette looked away for a moment and blew out a heavy breath. She seemed to be having and internal battle with herself before finally meeting Maura's gaze once more. Jane's brown eyes seemed to have a soft vulnerable and honest look the blonde had never witnessed before.

"Look…" Jane softly began. "I… I'll tell you, okay. You deserve that. But not here, not now."

"When?"

"I don't know, I…" Jane sighed heavily. "Can you let me decide that? Please?" Jane softly asked.

Maura heard no scorn or sarcasm in the brunette's voice. She looked into Jane's eyes and nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you."

Frost soon returned and they resumed eating their ice cream.

* * *

"It's this one, here," Maura pointed out, from where she sat in the backseat of Frost's car.

"Holy cow!" Frost proclaimed, as he pulled up the driveway of the Isles Estate. "This is your house?"

"Yes," Maura nodded.

"This isn't a house. It's a freakin' hotel!" Jane declared.

Maura felt a bit apprehensive about Jane and Frost's reaction to her home. Yes, she was rich, but she did not want to be treated any differently. Hell, Jane already did that enough to her and this was just confirming the brunette was right. That she was privileged. This was just icing on the cake for Jane.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Barry," Maura said before opening the door.

"Not a problem. And thanks for being a much _nicer _wingman," he smiled.

"Oh, whatever," Jane interjected. "I'm the best friend you have."

"My pleasure," Maura chuckled lightly before climbing out of the car and closing the door behind her. She stepped up to the passenger side window, where Jane had the window down.

"Bye, Barry," she politely waved, then she laid her eyes on the brunette. "Jane," she stated.

"Maura," the brunette replied in the same tone.

"Catch you later," Barry waved before pulling away.

With that, Maura turned and headed up the steps towards the enormous home. Despite her confrontation with Jane, it had been a nice afternoon. It felt wonderful to socialize with people her age and actually feel like a member of a group. She smiled lightly as she replayed how nervous Barry was and how Jane was poking fun. Though Jane was being an ass, Maura knew she cared for Frost. Just as she cared for her brothers. Maura could not help but find that side of Jane enduring.

As she reached for the door it suddenly opened. Maura's eyebrows shot up. "Mother? You're home?"

"Hello, darling!" Constance smiled brightly. She leaned forward placing feather light kisses on each of Maura's cheeks. "I thought I'd surprise you. It turned out I was able to wrap up business a lot quicker than I thought."

Maura smiled. "I am indeed surprised."

They went into the house and headed down the hall.

'When did you arrive home?"

"My jet landed an hour and a half ago. I wanted to be here when you came home."

"It's wonderful to see you home, mother."

"Maura, dear. I could not help but notice you getting out of a rather ordinary looking vehicle. Who were those people?" Constance curiously asked.

"Oh, some friends from school. We just got back from the ice cream parlor, actually," Maura smiled, happy to talk about being social for a change.

"Friends? Well, you should invite them to dinner one evening."

Maura was hesitant to reply. "Perhaps, mother. I don't know. I'm just getting to know them. Plus, they're not really used to this sort of lifestyle. I'm afraid they may be uncomfortable."

The truth was, Maura did not feel that way at all. If she liked people whether they were rich or poor she would welcome them to her home with open arms no matter what their background. However, Maura was afraid her mother would be to overbearing for the likes of Jane and Frost and judge them too harshly. And Constance was the blatant type who unconsciously spoke her mind.

"Well, judging by the vehicle that young man was driving, he doesn't seem that impressive."

Case in point. Maura fought the urge to roll her eyes. She loved her mother but when Constance began to speak of others who were less fortunate it always ruffled her feathers. They reached a set of double doors that led into the parlor and they stepped inside. Maura knew she was in for a chat with her mother where Constance recapped her trip, gave Maura a small souvenir from her travel, and would briefly ask Maura how she is doing in school but never entirely listen to the blonde's response. Then within minutes, Constance was up and out of the room. Same old song. That same old feeling of loneliness even though she was not physically alone. Maura had not felt that way for a single moment when she was with the Rizzolis. Maura knew if she were to speak with Angela, she would feel truly heard and valued.

When her predictable chat with her mother ended, Maura headed up to her bedroom to promptly begin her studies.

* * *

Frost and Jane had finally made it to their side of town. Maura had told Frost she would have a driver pick her up from the parlor but Frost insisted on taking her home. The drive was a little out of the way but no big deal. They were having a light conversation when Frost finally said what was really on his mind.

"Why do you and Maura speak to each other that way?"

"What?"

"Like you didn't even say goodbye. You just said each other's names."

"Duh, Frost. She basically forced me into this friendship thing just to get back at me. And she's totally driving me up a fucking wall!"

Frost chuckled lightly causing Jane to glare at him. "I'm sorry. I just think it's hilarious that she knows you have a boner for her and she's throwing it in your face." He shrugged thoughtfully. "It's pretty genius actually."

"Oh, shut-up. I thought you were my friend."

"I am, Jane. But you knew this had to come around and bite you in the ass eventually. I never did get how you would pick on her all this time and then talk to me about how hot and smart she was later."

Jane released a short breath between her teeth and leaned back in the seat folding her arms. "I don't know… because I guess I'm just fucked in the head, Frost." Jane shook her head. She hated this arrangement with Maura and also loved it at the same time. She was finally spending time with Maura. It may be the most uncomfortable way possible but hell, she got to lay in the same bed with her and nearly get to second base! But Jane was also mad at herself, because this was no one's fault but her own and Maura was punishing her for it.

"Jane…" Frost began. "You should tell her."

"Oh, she knows, Frost."

"Yeah, she knows you _want_ her, but she doesn't know how you feel about her. You should tell her."

Jane scoffed. "Right. Just to have her laugh in my face. No way."

"I don't think she would do that Jane. Maura is a classy girl. I've only know her less than a day I can see that."

"She is classy. That's one of the things I like about her," Jane lightly smiled.

"Well, class or no-class, she totally grilled your ass back at the ice cream parlor." Frost chuckled.

Jane ran a hand through her hair and ruffled it slightly. "I know…" she sighed. "It pissed me off but at the same time it was really intense… and it made her look really hot."

"Jesus, Jane," Frost shook his head with a smile. "You've got it bad. But you started on the wrong foot with her. I mean… the WRONG foot completely. I still don't get why you did that."

Jane shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know why I did it either… well, I kind of know why." She let out a heavy breath. "It's like I really want her but at the same time I resent her."

"What?" Frost frowned.

"It's only because I know a girl like her would never go for someone like me."

"You think she's that shallow?"

"Frost, did you see her house? The way she lives? Come on."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"She's a filthy rich… good girl. And I'm a blue collar chick that likes to get dirty and help my Dad fix plumbing. We're from two different worlds."

"Never say never. Take a chance. Just like how you kept pushing me to ask out Annie."

"Well, that's different."

"Not by much. But with Maura… now that you're somewhat talking to her like she's a human being…" Jane frowned at him. "What? I'm just saying you've passed step one. Now you need to have her warm up to you."

"Yeah, like that will happen…" Jane muttered.

"You have charm, girl. Just use it."

Jane contemplated her friend's words. Maybe Frost was right. If she actually attempted to stop being an asshole, which would be difficult, and put forth an effort of charm, then maybe Maura would see her differently. But she knew she had a long way to go.

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty then, thoughts?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Finally, right? And this chapter is a little longer than the others. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 8**

It was now the beginning of the second week of the 'friendship arrangement' and Jane had yet to pour on the Rizzoli charm. She and the blonde still bickered and Maura would continue to send her flirty suggestions that Jane knew would result to nothing.

It was early morning, and herds of teens filled the high school courtyard. Jane and Frost were standing near the stairs by the cafeteria. This had always been their early morning hangout spot before class since they were sophomores.

"So, it's been a week now. Have you figured out a plan yet?" Frost asked.

"A plan?"

"For Maura."

Jane sighed heavily adjusting the weight of her backpack on her shoulders.

"I haven't seen any change yet," Frost continued. "And you two are still at each other's throats. So you have a plan?"

"No, not really..." Jane mumbled. "Why can't I just continue to be a jerk to her? That makes me more comfortable."

"Jane, come on. Do you like the girl or not?"

The brunette sheepishly lowered her eyes and lightly kicked a pebble that was on the ground. "I already told you I do."

"Well, it's time to put your big girl pants on." He looked over Jane's shoulder and smiled lightly. "And now's the time because she's heading this way."

Jane perked up and looked across the courtyard. Amongst the throng of students, the brunette immediately spotted Maura. Jane's heart fluttered when she saw the vision in a fashionable dress with matching heels heading towards them. The sunlight was reflecting off Maura's hair in just the right way, making it appear as she was an angel. Why did she have to be so beautiful?

Jane finally shook out of her trance and looked at her friend. "Frost, how does she know where to find us?"

"I told her," he simply shrugged.

"You what?" Jane asked, grabbing the collar of his shirt.

Frost held his hands out to the sides in surrender. "Chill, Jane. I thought you'd be cool with it." He looked down at the hand gripping his shirt. "And you're supposed to be working on playing nice, remember?"

Jane looked down at her own hand and frowned before releasing Frost's shirt. Maura had not seemed to notice the action and approached them with a bright smile on her face. "Good morning, Barry… Jane."

"Good morning," Frost replied. He looked at Jane who was just silently staring at Maura. He bumped her in the arm.

"Hey…" Jane finally said.

An awkward silence fell between them. Jane had no idea what to say and she was sure Frost was waiting on her to initiate a chat. Maura on the other hand was just at a loss for words as Jane and stood there, feeling the uncomfortable tension build between all three of them… until Frost finally spoke. Thank God.

"Hey, Maura? Are you any good at Math?"

Maura quirked her head to the side in a manner that Jane thought was cute. "It's not my favorite subject but yes. I'm quite the mathematician at times."

"That's good to hear, because Jane was just telling me that she needed some help for a test that's coming up tomorrow."

"I was?" Jane asked, frowning.

Frost cleared his throat loudly and eyed Jane, hoping she'd catch on. A light bulb suddenly went off in Jane's brain and she realized what Frost was doing. "Uh… oh, yea, yea, I was."

Maura gave Jane a curious look. "Really…"

"Yeah."

Maura studied Jane for a moment, pinched her lips together as if marinating the idea in her mind. "Does that mean you are you asking for my help?"

Jane nonchalantly shrugged. "I guess…"

Frost cleared his throat once again, even louder than the first time.

Maura turned to Frost and furrowed her brows in concern. "Frost, are you alright? Do you need a throat lozenge?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just a tickle," he said, feigning a cough.

Jane sighed, knowing what Frost was getting at and decided to go with it. She hesitantly met Maura's gaze and found hazel eyes looking back at her. "Yes, I… could use your help, if you don't mind," Jane guardedly admitted. "But I know the last thing you probably want to do is help me."

"Hmm," the blonde hummed, thoughtfully. "I'm always open to provide academic assistance. If you ask politely," Maura finished with a light smile.

Jane balled her fists together and was about to send a harsh reply Maura's way but caught the look Frost gave her. She took a calming breath and closed her eyes for a second before meeting Maura's teasing gaze. "Ok… will you _please_ help me study after school today?" Jane asked, trying to hold back her frustration.

Maura smiled brightly. "I would be happy to, Jane."

"See, Jane. She would be happy to," Frost grinned, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder.

"Great…" Jane grit between her teeth, forcing a smile.

Maura smiled back and then turned to Frost. "Barry, how did your date with Annie go?"

If the blush Frost was currently sporting could be visibly seen on his dark skin, he knew Jane would be joking him hard. But the goofy grin on his face could not be concealed. "It went awesome. Annie is awesome. We're going out again Friday night."

Maura beamed. "That's wonderful. I'm glad you had a good time."

Suddenly, the school bell rang announcing that the first class of the day would be starting.

"See you at lunch," Maura said, before walking away.

"See ya, Maura," Frost replied.

After the blonde had left, Jane glared at Frost. He only grinned widely at her and shrugged.

"Screw you, Frost," she grumbled, before briskly walking towards the school building.

"Oh, come on, man. I'm helping you out," Frost said, hurrying to catch up with the retreating brunette.

"What if I'm not ready for this," Jane whined.

"Make yourself ready. If you don't jump in the water, you'll never swim."

Jane frowned at his pathetic metaphor. "I'll never drown either!" She countered, pushing the doors open to the school.

"Jane…"

"Ugh! Okay, fine. But I'm not making any promises."

"You should be. I've just given you a golden opportunity here. Don't screw it up by acting like a jackass."

Jane rolled her eyes and went headed towards her locker.

* * *

According to Jane, this had been the fasted school day ever. Before she knew it, the final bell of the school day rang and she was to meet Maura outside of their last class. When Jane stepped out of the classroom, Maura was standing just by the door, waiting for her.

"Hey," Jane said, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

"Hello."

"So, I guess we should…" Jane shrugged, indicating that they should start heading out.

Maura nodded silently and fell into step beside her. This was actually happening. Jane finally had her chance to turn a new leaf with Maura. She could not screw it up.

"I uh, don't have a car like Frost, but my house is like fifteen minutes away if we walk."

"Walk? Didn't you and Frost carpool to school?"

"Yeah, but he can't take me home on Mondays. He works at a computer shop and he has to be there like right after school. He's kind of a geek with technology."

Maura lightly smiled. She excited about the prospect of not being the only nerd in this threesome clique. Wait, were they a clique? During the past week, Maura had been spending time with Frost and Jane at school and sometimes it seemed that way. Maura briefly held onto the nice illusion but knew it was not true. Especially, since she had forced herself into Jane's life. And the only reason Jane and Maura were somewhat pleasant to one another was because Frost was there to keep the peace. They were not friends.

Maura shook out of her thoughts. "I had no idea he held in interest in the subject. That's fantastic," she replied.

"Yeah…" Jane almost mentioned that he has helped her change a letter grade or two by hacking the school records, but she thought better of sharing that information.

They reached the outside of the school building and Maura pointed towards the silver Rolls-Royce parked at the front curb.

"There's my driver. He can take us to your house."

"Um, actually I'd rather we walk, if that's cool with you?"

"Oh… really?" Maura seemed confused by the idea. "It wouldn't be a problem for you to ride with me."

"I'm sure," the brunette nodded. "Besides, it's a nice day and stuff…" That was all Jane could think to say at the moment. She could not say, I'm trying to spend more time with you and this was a way to do it.

"I… suppose that will be alright. I'll have to inform my driver."

They headed towards the vehicle and Jane stayed back a few feet from the car as Maura spoke to the man in the driver's seat. As they spoke, Jane noticed the man would shoot distrustful glares in her direction and it made Jane shift her weight uncomfortably. If this guy had willed for her to catch fire with his eyes, it would undoubtedly happen at any moment. He turned and smiled at Maura nodding his head. Soon the vehicle pulled away and the blonde was by Jane's side once again.

"Your driver doesn't seem to like me too much."

"Who Lars?" Maura frowned, looking after the vehicle. "He's an extremely friendly man."

"Well, Lars was looking at me like I was a suspect in a line up."

Maura gave a slight nod. "He tends to be a tad protective of me."

"You think?"

"Lars has been driving me since I was five years old. I suppose he sees himself as responsible for me, that's all."

"Hmph," Jane replied.

They began to walk off the school property in silence. Jane ran a hand through her hair and tried to control the pounding in her chest. This was her moment; an attempt to show Maura the other side of herself. "So, uh…" she began shakily. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Jane's question was met by silence. When Jane did not hear an immediate response, she looked at Maura and saw a strange expression etched on the blonde's face. Maura was looking at Jane as if she had lost her mind. "What?" Jane nervously asked.

"Are you… attempting to initiate a civil conversation with me?" Maura asked, genuinely curious.

Jane shrugged and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Maybe… there something wrong with that?"

"No. But it's odd. In fact, this entire day has been unusual. I've just realized I have not received a single insult from you today."

Jane scoffed, more out of nervousness than amusement. "What? You want me to be mean to you?"

"Not necessarily. This is just… different."

Jane moved her hands nervously, which were stuffed in her pockets and lightly shrugged. "Different can be good… right?"

Maura suspiciously squinted her eyes, still not understanding Jane's change in demeanor.

Jane saw this and sighed in defeat. "Okay… I get it. You know what? Just forget that I asked anything," Jane regretfully said. She felt like an idiot. Why did she even entertain the idea of successfully having a conversation with this beautiful and intelligent human being? She was wasting her breath.

They continued to walk silently side by side for another minute or so.

"I am an only child," Maura finally said.

Jane looked at the blonde who kept her eyes straight ahead. The brunette was afraid to speak for fear that Maura would lose the nerve to keep talking to her.

"And…" Maura continued. "As for siblings, I am not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"I was adopted when I was an infant. If I do have a half brother or sister I have no way of knowing."

Jane raised her eyebrows slightly. She was completely unaware of that fact. "Oh, wow. So, you kind of just fell into the glamorous life, huh?"

Maura lightly grimaced. "It's not as glamorous as it seems."

"Please. You get driven wherever your heart desires, you live in a huge house, and can afford anything you want. That sounds awesome to me. I sometimes imagine a different life than my own. I've even wished I was adopted."

Maura looked at Jane then. "You shouldn't say that, Jane. You have a wonderful family. You're the lucky one."

"Yeah, with a nagging mom that gets on my case, 24-7."

Maura lowered her eyes. "I wish my mother were more like that."

"No, you don't. Trust me."

"At least Angela is there for you. My mother is out of the country for more than half the year and we rarely ever spend time together."

"And your father?"

"They divorced. My mother has full custody of me."

"Oh…" Jane hated that she may have dug too deep into the blonde's life and she immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry…"

What? Maura's world came to a screeching halt. _I'm sorry. _Those were words Maura never thought she would hear Jane say to her. Though it was not in the context she had always hoped, it had a hell of an impact on her nerves. Maura stopped walking suddenly and Jane turned, looking at her questioningly.

The expression on Maura's face could only be described as distrustful and Jane knew she must have done something wrong.

Maura felt upset by Jane's behavior towards her and she had no idea how to react to it. The Jane that gave her a hard time and poked fun at her she could handle, but this new breed had her confused to no end. "Jane, what is this?" Maura suspiciously asked.

Jane felt a pang of anxiety strike her chest. "Uh… what's what?"

"Your behavior towards me," she firmly stated. "You're being too… cordial."

Jane frowned. "What now?"

"Nice! You're being too nice to me. Why?"

They were now in Jane's neighborhood, just a few houses down from the Rizzoli home.

Jane tried to rack her brain for a response for Maura. Her mouth opened but no words came out. This only infuriated the blonde further.

"Am I missing something?" Maura questioned. "Is this a trick or some kind of joke where you're trying to-"

"You're helping me out," Jane suddenly cut in, causing Maura to stop speaking. Jane made sure to keep her voice calm and controlled even though she was scared shitless on the inside. "You're helping me out and you don't have to. Hell, I'm surprised you said you would, but you are. And the least I can do is be nice to you… for now."

Maura continued to silently stare at her but Jane noticed some of the blonde's apprehension had begun to fade.

"Is that okay?" Jane carefully asked.

Maura did not know how to respond to the question, so she didn't. She only turned and continued to walk towards the house. Jane looked after her a moment, becoming more unsure of where this plan to get to know Maura better was headed.

Jane opened the front door using her key and allowed Maura to enter the house first. The first thing Maura noticed was that it was quiet. Too quiet. It reminded her of the morning she woke up after the sleepover to help Angela cook breakfast. "Where is everyone?" she asked.

Jane closed the front door behind them and tossed her backpack by the staircase. "Uh… Frankie and Tommy mentioned going to a friend's house after school, Dad's working and Ma is probably out on errands."

"Oh…" Maura gave a settle nod, but on the inside she suddenly felt nervous. She had never actually been _alone_, alone with Jane. There was always someone else around. And with Jane acting so differently, she was at odds with herself.

"Do you want a drink or something?" Jane asked.

"Um, sure. Water is fine."

Jane gave a nod and headed for the kitchen. "You can watch TV in the den if you want," she said over her shoulder.

Frost would be proud of her. She was at least trying to get in Maura's good graces. It had actually been nice speaking to the blonde and actually learning something new about her. Though Jane's stomach was in knots the entire time and Maura had looked confused as hell… it had been nice. This made the brunette think about what Maura had said to her in the ice cream parlor last week. What _if _she had just spoke to the blonde instead of bullying her? Would they be friends today? Would they be dating? She would never know and that was her own fault. This was the result of her being a coward. Jane shook her head, ashamed of her past misdeeds towards Maura.

Realizing she had been staring at the refrigerator for nearly two minutes straight, Jane quickly opened it and grabbed a bottled water. When she reached the hallway she no longer saw Maura standing there. She walked further and poked her head in the den. No Maura. Had the blonde left because she was so freaked out by Jane's attitude towards her?

Suddenly, there was a loud BOOM noise down the hallway.

"Jane! Jane! Help! Hurry!" she heard Maura shouting.

"Maura?! Where are you?!" Jane hollered back, trying to determine the source of the blonde's voice.

"The bathroom! Come quick!"

Jane threw down the water bottle in her hand and rushed down the hall, reaching the open doorway of the bathroom. Her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. "Whoa!"

A fountain of water was spraying feet into the air, gushing from the bathroom sink.

Maura was already drenched from head to toe as she attempted to turn off the sink, battling the unforgivable water pressure. Jane quickly entered the bathroom and was soon by Maura's side.

"I can't stop it!" Maura shouted.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Jane hollered over the loud noise of the spraying water.

Maura removed her hands from the faucet and Jane took over, turning the knobs. The water continued to spew. "Shit!" Jane shouted.

"I already tried that!" Maura declared.

"Okay," Jane said. Her brain was working frantically. "Okay, hang on. I need to grab a tool!" Jane grasped Maura's wrist gently. "Come on, stand in the hall!" Jane instructed, pulling Maura out of the bathroom.

Maura complied. There was no sense in getting continually doused with water if there was nothing the blonde could do. Maura watched as Jane dashed down the hall and disappeared around the corner. Maura looked back into the bathroom at the gushing sink and then her gaze shifted down to herself. She was drenched from head to toe. Her hair no longer held that usual fullness with shiny curls. It was now a flat mess matted to her head. Her dress was soaked and she did not even want to look at her brand new suede heels. They were ruined.

Just five minutes ago, all she had wanted to do was wash her hands. The faucet was working fine as first then suddenly there was a rattling noise and BOOM! The faucet head popped off and Niagara Falls. Maura was immediately sprayed by an on pour of water. Her initial reaction was to turn off the sink as she fought off the pressurized water hitting her body. She turned the knobs to no avail and that's when she panicked and called for Jane.

Maura jumped out of her thoughts when the brunette ran past her and back into the bathroom. Jane got on her knees and climbed under the sink. After a few twists and turns of certain parts, the water pressure declined and soon shut off entirely.

Jane blew out a heavy breath and stood to her feet. "Fuck…" she breathed, pushing her now drenched hair from her face. She turned to Maura who was standing in the doorway, watching her. "I guess you won't be needing that drink of water now, huh?"

Maura's face shifted into what looked like a pained expression at first and Jane began to panic. She was not good with tears and comforting. But then she heard a stifled snort and Maura covered her mouth. Jane raised her eyebrows at Maura in surprise. The blonde was laughing.

Jane let out a chuckle of her own and soon they were both laughing loudly at this outrageous situation. The nervous tension between them forgotten. One moment they are tip toeing around each other and the next, they were having a water battle with a bathroom sink. How did that happen?

Soon the laughing died down and Jane shook her head with a smirk. "Yeah, this sink has been messed up for a while. I would have warned you if I knew you were using it."

"It's alright," Maura smiled, placing a hand over her soar abdominals, which were recovering from laughter.

Jane shook her head in disbelief. "The part we need for this sink is still on back order. So my Dad had put a temporary fix on it."

Maura gave a slight nod. "It was temporary alright."

Jane raised an amused eyebrow and smiled lightly. "I didn't know Maura Isles told jokes."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Maura smiled back, with a twinkle in her eye.

Was Maura flirting with her? Jane shook it off with a chuckle. "Come on. Help me grab some towels so we can soak up the water. Then I'll get you some dry clothes."

"Sounds good."

After grabbing several towels and spreading them over the wet tiled floor, Jane led Maura up the stairs and into her bedroom. Maura watched as Jane went into her drawer and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She turned to Maura and walked over to her.

"These aren't exactly designer clothes but…"

"They're fine, Jane. Anything is better than being all wet."

Jane raised an eyebrow at her and Maura had just caught on to what she had just said. She blushed lightly. Jane smirked at her.

"Thank you," Maura said, holding up the clothes slightly.

"You're welcome. You can use the bathroom. And feel free to use the sink. It won't attack you like the other one."

Maura could not help but chuckle lightly and Jane noted that she liked the sound.

"Okay," the blonde replied, heading towards the restroom.

Jane watched her and allowed her eyes to wander down Maura's body. The dress was practically clinging to the blonde's every curve and it made Jane's lower regions clench with sympathy. She wanted so badly to grab Maura's wrist, pull her towards her, and kiss the blonde with all her might. But she couldn't and she watched Maura disappear behind the door. Jane released the breath she had not realized she was holding and walked over to her dresser.

Maura stood in the bathroom, motionless for a moment. In the last half hour, Jane had made her laugh harder than she had laughed in a long time. Jane had made her blush. Jane made her feel safe and protected when she swooped in and took care of the gushing bathroom sink. Jane. Why was Jane being so kind to her? And more importantly… why was she liking it?

Maura shook her head and placed the dry clothes Jane had given her on the counter. She reached behind her back for the zipper of her dress, but found it difficult. The damp clothes were limiting her reach. And when she did get a grip on the zipper, it would not lower. It was stuck. After a few attempts with no success, Maura knew she needed help. Frustrated, she turned and opened the door, stepping into the room.

"Jane, I-" Maura stopped short when she saw Jane standing in the middle of the room. The brunette had removed her wet t-shirt and was only wearing her sports bra and jeans, which were unbuttoned at the top.

Maura immediately averted her eyes after catching a glimpse of those perfect abs. "N… never mind," she stammered, turning to go back into the bathroom.

"No, wait."

Maura stopped and held her breath before slowly turning back around. She hesitantly met Jane's eyes.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before, right?" Jane tried to joke.

Maura's cheeks became red and she averted her eyes to a wall in Jane's room. She cleared her throat and shifted her weight slightly. "I suppose."

"Did you need something?"

"Yes, um… I can't get out of my dress," Maura shifted her eyes, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry…" Jane said, confused.

"I'm having difficulty lowering the zipper."

Jane became nervous as she realized where this could possibly be headed. "H… how did you get it on by yourself this morning?"

Maura sighed with exasperation. "Well, it was a lot easier when the dress wasn't damp, Jane."

"Oh, right…" Jane stuttered.

"Will you…?" Maura turned her back to Jane and glanced at the brunette over her shoulder.

"U…um… sure."

Jane felt her hands tremble slighlty as she crossed the room and stepped closer to the blonde. She was about to help undress Maura. And knowing that this was the starting point of many of the sexual scenarios in her head with the blonde, Jane could not help but shiver with a hint of satisfaction. She managed to grip the zipper between her thumb and forefinger and slowly began to lower it. Her heart was pounding in her ears as the milky skin of Maura's shapely back was revealed to her. She wanted so badly to run her finger down the expansion of skin just as she had the pleasure of doing to Maura's stomach. But she was being a disrespectful asshole at that time. Now, she only wanted to touch Maura if given permission. No matter how badly it killed her. And man, was this killing her. She bit her lower lip when she saw the back strap of the blonde's bra. Teal. Very hot. She continued to pull the zipper lower.

"I think I can take it from here," Maura breathed out. Her voice not as strong and controlled as she had intended.

Jane removed her hand and thanked God that Maura asked her to stop. If she had to lower that zipper any further, she could have sworn she would have passed out. "Okay…"

Maura herself was having trouble controlling her breathing as she had felt the brunette unzipping her. She had never felt anything so… erotic and tension-ridden in her life.

Maura knew all she had to do next was say thank you and head into the bathroom, but something was compelling her to turn around instead. Going against her initial instinct, Maura turned her head and looked at Jane. Huge mistake. Maura gasped. Jane's brown eyes were dark and had that look of lustful wanting written all over them. That look was familiar now, but this seemed way more intense than before.

This was all supposed to be a game, but seeing that look in Jane's eyes and knowing that Maura was trying desperately herself to repress her own… was it temptation? Arousal? She was not sure. But she knew she could no longer be in such close proximity to a nearly half naked Jane Rizzoli.

"Thank you," she sputtered out before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

Jane now stood frozen, looking after the closed door. "You're welcome," she whispered into the quiet bedroom.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? And don't worry we're getting there. But like I said, we're slow burning it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Darn, another long chapter. How did that happen? Guess you'll have to deal. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 9**

Dressed in slightly baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt, Maura finally emerged from the bathroom. Jane looked up from her cell phone and saw the blonde standing in the doorway.

"…Hey," Jane spoke first.

"Hi."

Both of them stood awkwardly in the room together, neither able to really look each other in the eye. What had happened between them after Jane had unzipped her dress was… intoxicating. There was definitely something between them in that moment. A want… a pull... an overwhelming attraction. But Maura had fought it, because a part of her will never forget why she was taking part in this 'friendship' arrangement in the first place.

"I… um…" Jane held out a plastic grocery bag towards Maura. "You can put your wet clothes in here if you want. I also have some socks for you on the bed. They're brand new. I've never worn them," Jane nervously sputtered everything at once.

Though the tension between them was still heavily present, Maura smiled lightly, thinking Jane's uneasiness was cute. Oh, God… she thought it was cute. Maura shook her head and walked towards Jane with her wet dress and heels in hand.

"Thank you," she said, taking the offered bag. She then walked over to the bed and placed the items inside. She then sat down and began to put on the white socks Jane left for her.

Jane silently watched Maura and could not help but feel a small thrill. The blonde was wearing her clothes. Maura looked adorable in her Red Sox t-shirt and sweatpants. Seeing the blonde this way made Maura seem more down to Earth and possibly from Jane's middle class world. It was a comforting thought.

"I thought those pants would fit. They're too small for me," Jane commented.

"Yes, they fit fine. Thank you."

Jane ran a hand through her hair. "Look, Maura. It's cool with me if you want to go home. You know, with the sink attacking you and everything. I'll understand."

Maura stood to her feet and raised an eyebrow at Jane. She noticed the brunette seemed a bit self-conscious about the situation. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" Maura said in almost a playful tone.

"No, I just… I figured…"

"Do you still want my help?"

Jane lightly bit her lower lip and nodded. "Yeah, I do." But truthfully it was more like… 'Yeah, I want you to stay longer so I can be around you longer.'

"Then I will stay and help you, Jane."

The brunette could not help but smile softly at Maura's generosity, despite the water incident. "Okay, cool. Let's go downstairs," Jane said, leading them out of the bedroom.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the front door opened to reveal Angela holding a few groceries.

"Hey, Ma," Jane said as she and Maura descended the stairs.

"Hey, Janey," she looked up and noticed Jane wasn't alone. "And Maura, it's so good to…" and then she stopped mid-sentence, looking at them suspiciously. "Janey, why is Maura wearing your clothes? And why is your hair wet? What is going on?" she demanded.

Maura could not help but bite her lip guilty as she saw Mrs. Rizzoli seem to get upset.

"Relax, ma. I had to give Maura some dry clothes because the sink in the downstairs bathroom exploded. Water got all over us."

"What?!" Angela squealed. She placed the grocery bags on the floor before heading towards the bathroom.

Jane and Maura exchanged glances. An amused look came across Jane's face and she held up a finger. "Wait for it," Jane whispered.

Maura looked at the brunette confused. Wait for what?

"Oh, my God!" Angela bellow from down the hall.

"And there it is," Jane smirked. She knew her mother would dramatically freak out. The brunette headed down the rest of the steps and Maura followed. They met Angela by the bathroom doorway as the older woman looked on in shock.

"We cleaned it up the best we could, Ma."

"I can see. And with some of my good towels!"

"It was an emergency!" Jane defended.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Rizzoli," Maura said. "I only wanted to wash my hands and then…"

"Oh, Maura it's not your fault sweetie," Angela said, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I would have warned her Ma but…"

"I don't blame you either, Janey. It's your father's fault," she grumbled. She stormed past the girls and headed towards the kitchen.

"Ma, Pop said it was only a temporary fix," Jane said, following her mother.

"Temporary," Angela repeated. "It's been temporary for two weeks now!" She picked up the house phone and began to dial. "Janey, can you grab the rest of the groceries? I have to call your father."

"Alright, Ma," Jane said in defeat. There was no stopping the impending argument between her parents.

She turned to Maura and the blonde gave her a small smile of understanding. "I'll help with the groceries."

"Thanks."

Jane and Maura hauled in the last of the groceries and Jane suggested they study out on the back porch. Angela was on the phone with Frank Sr. and there was no way they would be able to concentrate while hearing all that fuss. Jane felt embarrassed that Maura had to witness that.

The two of them sat in a large porch swing that fit up to three people and had there math books in their lap. Maura noticed throughout their study session, that Jane seemed to zone out at times. Maura would ask her a simple question and the brunette seemed and distracted and would have Maura repeat. The blonde also noticed that when she would be working out a problem, she could feel Jane staring at her, but when she would look up, the brunette would avert her eyes. Maura was beginning to feel like this study session was for another purpose. What? She was not sure. The eerie part about the whole thing was they actually worked well together… when Jane was paying attention that is. Maura still could not get over the fact that Jane was not discouraging her presence nor bickering with her. It was… different.

Jane's cell phone had rang and she excused herself, standing on the other side of the porch from Maura. "What's up, Frost?"

"Hey. How's the sexy studying going?" He teased.

"I'm hanging up now."

"No, wait!" Jane smiled as Frost believed her bluff. "I'm calling for a good reason."

"And that would be?"

"Annie and I are going to play miniature golf tomorrow around 1. Annie wanted to know if you wanted to come with."

"And be a third wheel. No way."

"Well, there's an easy solution to that, Jane."

"Which is?"

Frost scoffed. "Don't play dumb. You already know."

Jane's eyes ventured over to Maura who was busy at work, solving out a math problem. She bit her lip.

"Ask Maura," he pushed.

"Nah, I can't. Then it would seem like a double date…" Jane murmured, trying to keep her voice low.

"Jane, just do it. We'll just be a couple friends hanging out. She might have plans tomorrow anyway and can't even come. What do you got to lose?"

"Urgh… fine," she growled. Jane turned towards the blonde and covered the receiver with her hand. "Hey, Maura? Frost, Annie and I are gonna to play mini-golf tomorrow. You uh… wanna come with us?"

The blonde's face seemed to light up and Jane felt her heart warm at the sight. "I've never played before but, yes. I'd be delighted," Maura grinned.

Jane gave a nodded and turned away from the blonde. "She said yes. You happy?" Jane hissed into the phone.

"Are _you_?"

"Bite me." Jane heard the sound of Frost's laughter before she hung up her phone.

After about two solid hours of math and Maura, Jane's brain felt like mush. They headed inside and saw Frankie and Tommy in the kitchen raiding the pantry for snacks.

"Oh, look who it is," Tommy smiled as he saw the two girls enter the house. "You guys have a nice shower together?"

"What?" Jane frowned, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Maura was embarrassed by the odd comment as well.

"Yeah, nice going with the sink, Maura. You tryin' to flood out our house or somethin'?" Frankie chimed in.

Maura was put off by Frankie's comment at first, but when she noticed his playful grin she realized he was being sarcastic. Something she picked up on while being around Jane. She chuckled lightly. "Apparently so."

"Good thing Janey was there to save you." Tommy walked over to Jane and leaned his shoulder into the brunette's side. Jane rolled her eyes as he clenched hands into a fist and dramatically held it to his heart. "She was your knight and shining armor," he said in his best head over heels impersonation.

"Shut up, dick weed," Jane frowned, pushing him away. "It was an accident and I took care of it."

Tommy grinned at them. "Right."

Suddenly, the muffled shouting of two people could be heard coming from the other side of the house.

Jane sighed heavily, knowing it was her parents. "I take it Pop is home?"

"Yea," Frankie replied. "They've been arguing over that sink for like the past half hour."

Maura sheepishly lowered her eyes. Even though Angela had reassured Maura that it was not her fault, the blonde still felt uneasy about the situation. If she had not touched the sink then none of this would have happened. Jane's parents would not be arguing.

Jane caught the troubled look on Maura's face and became concerned. "Hey, you okay?"

Maura looked at her shook out of her thoughts. "Oh, yes. Yes, I'm alright."

Before Jane could say any more, Angela suddenly stormed into the kitchen, shaking her head. The room became silent as all four sets of eyes cautiously watched the older woman stand over the stove. One thing the Rizzoli children knew was to not mess with their mother when she was a wild beast ready to pounce at any moment. Finally, she looked up and all three of her children internally flinched. They never knew what to expect after their parents had a sparring match.

"Dinner will be reading in ten," Angela calmly said.

Maura watched as all three of the Rizzoli kids seems to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Maura?" Angela asked. The blonde snapped her head towards Angela. "Why don't you stay for dinner? I feel as though we owe you, especially with the craziness of the bathroom sink," she politely smiled.

"Oh, Mrs. Rizzoli I would love to. But I really must get home. My mother and I have dinner plans tonight."

Jane grimaced, worried about her mother's reply.

Angela tried to hide her disappointment and gave a nod. "Well, alright. Sorry, you can't join us… but at least let Janey drive you home."

"Huh?" Jane's heart leapt in her throat. This would mean more alone time with Maura. And that meant, _alone_ alone in a small space. The last time they were in Maura's car together she could not take her eyes off the beautiful blonde. Well, her legs anyway. Now, she was expected to drive with her biggest distraction only inches away from her?

"That's nice of you to offer, but not necessary," Maura smiled. "I can call my driver."

"Maura, please. Let Janey drive you. It's the least we can do."

"But Ma, she said she can call her driver," Jane argued.

"It's called being considerate, Jane." Angela scolded, glaring at her daughter. "Plus, she helped you study."

Jane knew her mother was already agitated from arguing with Frank Sr. so she knew not to push against her mother's wishes any longer. "Yes, Ma."

"You can use my car."

The sun was beginning to go down as Jane and Maura pulled away from the front of the Rizzoli home. Neither one of them really had anything to say to one another. Mostly, because in the back of their minds they were both still thinking of that intense encounter between them in Jane's bedroom. Jane tightened her grip on the stirring wheel before letting go, trying to build up her courage to speak.

"Th… thanks again for coming over to help."

"I'm not sure if I was much help," Maura replied with uncertainty.

"What do you mean? I'm gonna pass my test with flying colors tomorrow because of you."

"I'm not referring to that. I'm talking about the incident with the sink. I never meant to be the instigator of an argument between your parents."

Jane glanced at the blonde, seeing the dejected look on her face. The sight broke the brunette's heart. "Maura, trust me when I say that was not your fault. And you were _not _in any way the cause of their argument. My parents fighting… it's like a daily thing for them. I don't think they can even function with each other if they are not arguing."

Maura smiled lightly.

"In fact, their lives depend on arguing!" Jane exaggerated.

Maura allowed a small chuckle to escape her lips and she softly smiled at Jane's humor. The brunette was actually making her feel better. Jane smirked at her and felt a flutter in her stomach as she heard Maura laugh.

"So, are you done feeling guilty? Because you have no reason anymore," Jane spoke earnestly.

"Yes. I'm done," Maura responded with a small smile.

"Good."

Maura turned her attention outside the window and could not help but feel… giddy. She was giddy, and Jane was the cause of it. What a drastic turn of events for them. And today was just bizarre. Jane Rizzoli seemed to be actually putting forth an effort to be friendly… but why? Maura tried to rack her brain. How could someone go from despising you one day to transforming into a commendable, likable person the next? The blonde also wondered when Jane was finally going to tell her the true reason for bullying her. She was tempted to bring it up again, but changed her mind. Jane wanted to be the one who decided when that would happen and Maura had agreed to that.

They were silent the rest of the drive to Maura's house. Both lost in their own thoughts. Soon Jane was pulling up to the large home, taking the curved driveway and stopped the car.

"Thank you for the ride."

"Sure... all compliments of my mother who practically forced you to ride with me."

Maura smiled softly. "It's fine."

Jane chuckled lightly.

Maura was about to open the passenger door but her curiosity got the better of her. "Jane?" Maura asked, looking down at her lap. "Do you really have a math test you had to study for?" When Jane hesitated in answering, Maura looked at the brunette.

Jane chuckled nervously. "Yeah," she shrugged. "I mean, why else would I invite you over?"

The corners of Maura's lips ghosted a smile and she gave a small shoulder shrug of her own. But it was much cuter than Jane's. "To spend more time with me, perhaps?" Maura guessed.

Jane's eyebrows twitched and her heart tightened. Maura had hit the nail right on the head. Jane tried to shake off the feeling. "You think I like spending time with you?" she jokingly asked.

Maura eyed the brunette curiously, as if trying to read her behavior and Jane felt as though Maura had caught on to her game.

"If you had asked me that last week, I would have had a precise answer to that question. But as of lately… I'm not so sure."

The two of them stared into each other's eyes. Maura was looking for a reason why Jane seemed so suddenly charming to her and Jane was searching for an inkling of acceptance. Jane took in Maura's appearance. Despite the hand me down clothes, untouched make up and frizzy hair, the blonde still looked beautiful. Actually, make that beautifully adorable.

Maura felt her heart thumping a tad faster than usual as she saw a warmth she had never seen before in Jane dark brown eyes. Maura knew she could easily get lost in them… if she allowed herself to. There was definitely something there and both of them felt it.

"Goodnight, Jane," Maura finally said.

Jane swallowed. "Goodnight, Maura," she softly spoke. "S… see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," the blonde nodded.

Maura finally broke their intense eye contact and climbed out of the car. Jane blew out a heavy breath and watched Maura head towards her house. She smiled at the sight of Maura in only white socks, jogging up to her front door. She waited until the blonde was safely inside before pulling away.

* * *

The following afternoon, Jane, Maura, Frost and Annie met up at the mini-golf course. Before hitting the course, Frost practically begged the girls to play in the arcade section first. Jane had no problem with it and the other two readily agreed.

Jane hopped on a racing game while Frost and Annie engaged in a shooting game. Maura was not a gamer whatsoever but happily watched, trying not to think too much about the strategy of each game. At least that's what Jane told her.

However, minutes later when she saw Annie and Frost playing what they called air hockey, her interest was piqued. Maura walked closer to the table after watching them complete a game. "May I try?"

"Sure," Annie smiled, handing Maura the mallet. "Have you played before?"

"I'm afraid not. But it looks rather intriguing," Maura said, eyeing the surface of the table.

Annie grinned at her and looked at Frost who was on the opposite side of the table. "Go easy on her Barry. She's a newbie to this game."

Frost gave Annie a wink before looking at Maura. "Not a problem. Do you understand what to do?"

"Yes, I think so. I've been watching."

"Okay, cool. Let's do this."

Jane had grown tired of the fighting game she was playing and went to look for her friends. She soon spotted them at the air hockey table and a grin spread across her face. Maura was playing? She never thought she'd ever see this.

Maura had always had a competitive streak, but that involved tennis, crochet, and fencing. Not arcade games. But despite the fact that she was clearly losing this game to Frost, she was having fun.

"Oh, gosh darn it!" Maura said in frustration as Frost scored on her once again. A chuckle sounded behind her and Maura was not surprised to see it was Jane.

"Having some trouble there?" the brunette asked.

"No, I've got it."

Maura attempted to block Frost's next shot but the puck easily slid past her and into the goal.

"Okay, here." Jane stepped over to Maura and stood closely behind her.

The blonde felt a shiver run down her body at Jane's close proximity. She glanced over her shoulder at the brunette and furrowed her brows. "What are you doing?" she breathed, trying to control her voice.

"Helping you, because you look like a hot mess," Jane smirked. "Now, put your hand on the mallet."

Maura gave a small eye roll before turning forward. She daintily placed her finger tips on the mallet, gripping it with only her thumb, pointer finger and middle finger. Jane saw this and chuckled. "What?" Maura questioned.

"Well, here's your first problem. You're not holding the damn thing right." Jane placed her hand over Maura's pressing the blonde's hand down so she gripped the mallet fully. "See, you gotta grab it, like this. Hold it in a firm grip."

The blonde felt warmth spread through her body as she felt Jane's hand over her own. The brunette herself was trying to stop herself from trembling as Maura's back was pressed against her front. Jane looked across the table and caught the knowing smirk on Frost's face.

"Alright, Frost, we're ready. Show us what you got," Jane challenged, getting her and Maura's stance ready.

With Jane's skill, Maura managed to score enough points to catch up to Frost's score. As Jane aggressively guided her around the hockey table, blocking or attempting shots, the blonde found herself giggling. The brunette could not contain the smile on her face, knowing she was the cause of Maura's giddy laughter. They were having fun.

For the final and winning goal, Jane helped Maura bank the puck smoothly against the side wall and it quickly swept by Frost, going into his compartment. He lowered his head in defeat, but had a grin on his face.

"That's game!" Jane declared, pumping her fists in the air. "Suck it, Frost!"

Maura laughed and shook her head while Annie clapped her hands with a smile as she enjoyed watching the match.

"Yeah, yeah," Frost grinned, waving them off. "Good game, Maura. Even though you cheated."

"Hey. It was fair and square," Jane smiled back.

"You guys ready for some mini-golf?" Annie asked.

"For sure," Frost smiled. "Let's go get the equipment."

As Annie and Frost walked off, Maura turned to Jane and smiled shyly. "Thank you for helping me, Jane."

The twinkle and genuine kindness in Maura's hazel eyes made Jane's heart flutter. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and gave a crooked smile. "Yeah, sure. It was no problem. We're supposed to be friends, right? Well, no friend of mine is gonna to put a game of air hockey to shame."

Maura snickered softly but she noticed that when things became intense or serious when they were alone, Jane always seemed to toss in a joke. This attempt to suppress the tension between them often worked, but Maura wondered when that moment would come when Jane could no longer hide behind a light joke.

"Well, look who it is," an approaching voice said.

Jane and Maura turned and saw a teenager that was slightly buff, tall, and had brown hair. Maura had never seen him before, but from the annoyed look on Jane's face, the brunette had. Maura also concluded the guy attended their school, given the letterman's jacket he was sporting with their mascot and colors.

"What the hell do you want Joey?"

Joey Grant was one of the biggest assholes Jane had ever encountered. He was self-centered, arrogant, and thought all the girls in school wanted to sleep with him. He was a jock in every sense of the word and Jane could not stand him. It was hard enough playing pick-up games of ice hockey with him. But she could not avoid him because they were in the same league. There was no way she was going to give up a game she loved because of one dickhead.

"I just came over to say hi," he slyly grinned. His eye racked up and down Maura's body and a pleasing looked came across his face. "I don't think I've met you before. What's your name, sweetie?"

Jane took a protective step in front of Maura, blocking her from Joey's sight. "Her name is none of your business," the brunette assertively stated.

"Whoa. Cock-blocking much? She your girl or somethin'?" He frowned.

"Back off unless you wanna lose some teeth."

"Chill, Rizzoli," he said, holding up his hands in surrender with a smug grin on his face. "I just wanted to introduce myself to your fine lookin' friend. Or is it girlfriend?"

Jane felt the anger in her begin to rise to its boiling point. Joey's grinned even wider. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He leaned in closer to Jane's face. "Rizzoli's a big ole dyke…" he snickered.

Suddenly, the brunette forcefully shoved the jock in the chest, causing the larger teen to stumble backwards a few steps.

"Jane!" Maura called out in a panic, instinctively grabbing onto the brunette's arm.

A menacing glare came over Joey's face and he heading towards Jane again.

"Hey!" Frost interjected, coming over to his friend's aid. He stood next to Jane and starred daggers at the large jock. "There a problem here, Jane?" he asked.

"No, Frost. I got it," she said, not taking her eyes from Joey.

The jock let out a bitter chuckle. "It's not over, Rizzoli," he said backing away. "Fuckin' bitch…" he muttered before exiting the building.

Maura looked down and realized her hand was still gripping Jane's tricep and she immediately let go.

"You guys, okay?" Frost asked.

"Yeah, we're cool," Jane replied, stretching her neck to one side.

Annie came over and leaned into Frost's side. "That was very attractive. You protecting your friends," she cooed.

Frost tried to hide his grin and he smugly shrugged. "I'm a stud like that."

Jane shook her head and Maura smiled.

"Well, let's see how you do on the golf course, _stud,_" Jane chuckled.

Frost happily handed Jane a putter and ball and Annie did the same for Maura. Soon they were heading towards the course. Annie and Frost walked ahead as Maura and Jane walked side by side behind them.

Jane glanced towards Maura before sheepishly averting her eyes towards the ground. She had heard how terrified the blonde had sounded when Jane had pushed Joey away from them. Jane knew she really had to learn how to control her temper sometimes. "Sorry, you had to see that," she mumbled.

"Who was he, Jane?"

"Joey Grant," she tiredly sighed. "He's had a grudge against me ever since a scored a goal on him during one of our community hockey league games. He doesn't like being one-upped by a girl. The fucker… I'm sorry it freaked out when I pushed him."

"Well, he has a much bigger skeletal structure and far more muscular mass than you. And the outcome of a fight between the two of you would have been… not good."

"Not good? Is that your nice way of saying he would have pulverized me?" Jane smirked.

"You could say that."

"I wouldn't have gone down easy."

The blonde shrugged. "I…also, perhaps… did not want to see you get hurt."

Jane raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" Jane couldn't stop the amused smile that played on her lips. "Are you saying you… also, perhaps… care about me?"

Maura looked at Jane before rolling her eyes. She smiled softly. "Don't flatter yourself, Rizzoli."

The brunette laughed heartily as they joined Annie and Frost at the first hole.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you're still liking it! Let me know your thoughts. Reviews are fuel.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Good to see you all again. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I can never get enough of them! I hope you enjoy this one ;) Happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 10**

Dressed in a black bikini bathing suit, hair damp from her early morning swim, Maura sat back in one of the many lounge chairs that surrounded the indoor pool at her home. She laid there with her eyes closed and thought of the events that took place yesterday. A small smile appeared on her lips. The fun filled moments and laughs she shared with her friends at the miniature golf course had really made her day. Things that friends do. Friends? There was that question again. Maura had felt as though they were all friends. Annie and Frost were for sure friends… but Jane… were they now genuinely friends? Maura was not sure. It was as though the brunette had flipped a switch and was suddenly this wonderful person. The person Maura had wished Jane could have always been. Maura chuckled to herself when she thought of the fun she had when Jane was guiding her on the air hockey table. Moving her this way and that. Then she thought of how Jane had shielded her from that jock, Joey. Who Maura had judged for herself as an egotistical individual. She had not noticed it at the time, but Jane had protected her. Maura felt her heart expand a little at the gesture. It was sweet. It was something a friend would do. Maura closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh.

Jane stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets as she walked through her neighborhood. There were a lot of things on her mind and she could not stay cooped up in her house any longer. Okay, maybe it wasn't a lot of things on her mind… but Maura was a lot to think about. Jane smiled softly to herself. She had a blast with the blonde yesterday. They goofed around during their golf game and Maura had even smiled at her a few times. God, that smile. Jane shook her head. How could she had deprived herself of that smile for so long? She wanted more of that. More 'happy Maura' and she wanted to be the source of that happiness... if Maura was willing to give her the chance. Jane nodded to herself. She knew what she had to do. Time to suck it up and be a woman.

* * *

The following Monday at school, Maura was at her locker retrieving a book for her third period class.

"Maura?"

The blonde spun around at the sound of her voice. "Jane?" she questioned. She was surprised to see the brunette. It was unusual for Jane to be on this side of campus at this time because ordinarily she would be heading to her favorite class, physical education. But that was way on the other side of the school. Maura looked the brunette over and judging by the body language, Jane seemed oddly nervous about something.

"I… I need you to come with me somewhere."

"Pardon?"

"Can you come with me somewhere?"

"Um, okay..." Maura answered a bit confused. "Where?"

"It's off campus."

"What? Now? I have to get to class."

"You're not going to class. You're ditching with me," Jane stated.

"Ditching?" Maura frowned. "Jane, I can't."

"You can. And since we're technically friends now, you have ta ditch with me. Friends ditch together."

Maura's eyes became shifty and she bit her bottom lip, unsure.

"We won't get caught, I promise. I'm kind of an expert at this."

Maura was still hesitant.

"Please?" Jane softly requested. "I have to tell you something really important and it can't wait."

"You can't tell me now?"

Jane shook her head. "Not here."

Maura saw the intensity and seriousness in Jane's eyes. The brunette's expression was almost pleading with her. "Okay," she found herself saying.

"Yeah?" Jane said, a small smile appearing on her lips.

"Yes."

"Alright. Follow me."

It took them about twenty minutes to get across town after hopping on the green line streetcar for transportation. During their trip, Maura noticed that Jane was not at all talkative. As if she were on edge about something. The blonde decided not to push because she was sure her questions would soon be answered. Jane led her to the back of a large building and they reached a door that was cracked open.

"Jane, where are we?" Maura whispered.

"You'll see," the brunette replied.

They went through the door and made their way through a darkened area. Jane soon opened another door. The inside was glowing with a strange blue light and Maura became even more curious. She followed Jane through the doorway and when her eyes fell upon the source of the blue light her eyes widened.

Maura let out a gasp. "It's… we're in an aquarium," she smiled with excitement.

"Yep, New England's aquarium," Jane lightly smiled, taking in Maura's reaction.

Just a few feet away from them was the largest and most impressive tank of water Maura had ever laid her eyes on. Inside were an array of extravagant ocean animals.

"Come on," Jane said, grasping the blonde's hand.

Maura immediately felt those now familiar tingles running up her arm when she felt Jane's hand touch hers. Similar to what she had felt when they played air hockey. The blonde tried to shake it off the feeling as they walked a little further down. Since it was a weekday, the place was pretty much deserted. A globe of blue water reflected all around them.

"Jane, is it alright for us to be in here?"

"Don't worry. I've done this a million times. Haven't been caught yet."

Maura knew they were trespassing, but she could not help but feel an amazing rush of breaking the rules. First she ditched class and now they entered a building without paying! This was definitely new and thrilling to the blonde. They were soon by an exhibit that allowed visitors to look down into a large open space that had a pool and climbing rocks. "These little guys are my favorite," the brunette smiled.

Maura looked down and a grinned. "Little blue penguins," Maura noted. "They're adorable."

After a good thirty minutes of being distracted by the different sea animals and Jane's hand holding, Maura began to wonder about Jane's purpose of bringing her here.

"So, what do you think?" The brunette asked, as they walked down a slightly darkened tunnel/tank that surrounded them from all sides including above.

"This place is amazing, Jane."

The two of them stopped and looked at a small family of sea turtles swimming around.

Maura glanced in Jane's direction. "Why did you bring me here?" She asked.

The brunette slipped her hand from Maura's and the blonde felt odd that she noticed the loss of warmth. Keeping her eyes on the tank of water, Jane shrugged lightly. "This is one of my places to escape. I just wanted to show you."

"An escape from school?" Maura questioned with a playful raise of her eyebrow.

"Yes, school." Jane nodded with a light smile. "…but also to chill. Being here feels like being underwater, ya know. And that kinda… calms me, I guess."

"Hmm. That sounds very similar to a water birth… when a mother gives birth to the baby underwater. It's believed to create a more relaxed atmosphere for the baby. However, there are some adverse effects to water births that include infections and the drowning of the infant."

Maura looked at Jane and noticed the brunette was staring at her with a bit of amusement in her eyes.

"Sorry," the blonde blushed. "Your mention of being here and the feeling of being underwater just… sorry."

"No, I like it."

Maura turned to Jane then. Disbelief and uncertainty in her eyes. "What?"

"I like it a lot when you talk all… Wikipedia."

The blonde rolled her eyes at the mention of the website. "I don't trust that site. It's frequently incorrect."

Jane smirked at how cute the blonde was being. "See, you're like the only teenager in the world who would say that."

The brunette noticed Maura's face drop slightly. As though she had become self-conscious.

"But I think it's pretty awesome."

"You do?" Maura asked, unsure if she should trust the words coming from Jane's usual sarcastic mouth.

"Yeah," Jane shrugged.

"Jane, do you want to tell me why you really brought me here?" Maura softly asked. "You said you had something to tell me."

The brunette averted her eyes and looked at the sea turtles once again. She sighed heavily and braced herself. "You know how… you asked me why I didn't just talk to you… instead of picking on you?"

This was it. Jane was finally going to answer the question Maura had been dying to her for the past two weeks. "Yes."

"Well… the truth is… I couldn't."

Maura furrowed her brows. "You couldn't…." the blonde repeated.

Jane swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and stared straight ahead, unable to meet Maura's eyes. "I remember the first time I ever saw you. It was sophomore year and you were wearing this dark purple dress and your hair was the shiniest I had ever seen. You were so put together and had this... confidence about you. You were nothing like the other girls. I knew right away you were classy… different…"

Maura continued to listen to the brunette, not sure she was believing what she was hearing.

"Anyway… a week had gone by and everytime I saw you I wanted so badly to say something to you."

"Why didn't you?" Maura suddenly asked.

Jane sighed and shyly shrugged. "I don't know… you made me nervous. I also thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me." The brunette looked at Maura. "We had nothing in common."

Maura looked into Jane's eyes and saw the vulnerability there. A part of her could understand Jane's sense of intimidation, but the bullying… no.

"So, when I finally had the balls to talk to you, the complete opposite came out." The brunette helplessly shrugged. "I teased you instead of saying 'hi.'"

Maura lowered her eyes sadly and Jane felt even more remorse feel her heart. "I soon realized that teasing you was the only way I could talk to you or be close to you… without letting my real feelings about you show."

_What kind of feelings?_ The blonde raised her eyes and saw truth and vulnerability staring back at her.

Jane nervously wet her lips and continued. "I wasn't used to the way you made me feel, Maura. I felt…" Jane stopped mid-sentence and placed a hand over her beating heart. "Whenever you were around it scared me… and I didn't know how to act around you. And how I acted was pretty shitty."

"You… you shouldn't use that word…" Maura softly breathed. But the usual scold in her insistence of Jane not cursing was lost. She was too wrapped up in this moment… in Jane's words.

The brunette kept her eyes locked with Maura's and smirked softly. She stepped closer. "I really hated when you pushed yourself into my life to get back at me… but at the same time… I couldn't get enough of it."

Maura held her breath at Jane's words and felt her body shiver as the brunette drew closer to her.

"I like you, Maura…" Jane felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she finally said the words. "And being around you these past few weeks made me face that. It made me like you even more. Maybe…" Jane sheepishly tilted her head. "…even… more than like you."

Maura gasped softly as Jane stepped into her personal space.

"And if I can't do what I feel like doing right now, whenever I see you… I'm gonna go crazy," Jane said in a breathy whisper.

They stared into each other's eyes, each wondering if the other could hear how hard the other's heart was pounding. Jane slowly leaned in and Maura involuntarily closed her eyes upon feeling the brunette's breath against her lips. When the brunette saw no hesitation she leaned in closer… slow… inch by inch… seconds from true bliss.

"Stop…" Maura breathed, just millimeter before their lips touched.

Jane was broken out of her spell and stopped her progress, opening her eyes. Their breathes still mingled together for a moment before Maura placed her hand on Jane's chest. The brunette took a step back, just enough to look into Maura's eyes.

The blonde shook her head solemnly. "No…" she whispered, voice cracking slightly. The blonde had tears in her eyes that held a mixture of vulnerability, hurt and anger. The sight broke Jane's heart.

Maura finally found the strength to speak. "So… you humiliate me and put down my self-esteem just because you can't deal with your own? Jane, that is so… selfish… and cowardly."

Jane shamefully lowered her head.

"How dare you assume things about me without even trying to know me?" Maura's voice was strained. "You didn't even give me a chance."

"I was afraid you wouldn't give me one…" Jane softly spoke.

Maura shrugged. Her expression held a lack of compassion. "So, your solution was to bully me? Nice, Jane."

"You don't get," Jane said, shaking her head. "You're untouchable, Maura. What would you want with a dumb blue-collar like me?"

Maura was hurt by the question. Did Jane truly think she was that shallow? "I think I do, _get it._" Maura stated. "You were so afraid that I would reject you… and hurt you, you chose to hurt me first. Right?"

Jane stared into Maura's eyes but could not give a reply. Truth.

The blonde shook her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "The sad thing about all of this… I might have liked you Jane. We may have been friends… _real_ friends. Maybe more. But now I guess we'll never know."

Jane felt as though she couldn't breathe. She knew the blonde was pulling away. "Maura, I'm sorry," Jane rasped.

"That doesn't mean much right now, does it? You won't have to worry about me lingering in your presence any longer. Consider our fabrication of friendship dissolved," the blonde shakily spoke, trying to hold back more tears. The blonde turned and began to walk away.

Jane felt her heart constrict the further away Maura became. The brunette knew she had to take a chance now or she may never have the opportunity again.

"Maura…" She rushed over to the blonde and grasped her wrist. She spun Maura towards her and before she lost her nerve, captured the blonde's soft lips with her own.

Maura was stunned. One moment she was walking away and the next, locked in a kiss. Her head was spinning and her initial reaction to push the brunette away, soon dissipated into the further contours of her mind. Jane placed a gentle hand on her lower back and pulled her slightly closer. Maura's body relaxed against the brunette's and she allowed herself to become lost.

Jane's heart expanded as she felt Maura's soft lips against her own and realized the blonde was not fighting her. They stayed this way for several seconds but for both of them it felt like a lifetime. Jane finally broke the kiss and leaned back, slowly opening her eyes. Maura's eyes were still closed but soon opened to reveal a dazed hazel.

Suddenly, a hard slap came across Jane's face. Despite the sting, the brunette made no sound; only looked into Maura's eyes. She had deserved that.

Maura placed both of her hands over her mouth in shock. She had not meant to hit Jane, but she hated that she liked that kiss. She hated that she wanted more. Such anger and confusion were in those tears that glistened in her eyes. Maura uncovered her mouth and her lips moved to say something… anything, but no words came out. The blonde turned on her heel and quickly ran away.

Jane only stood there. She knew going after the blonde would do her no good. She was overwhelmed with the feeling of having kissed Maura but at the same time devastated for losing her. The brunette slowly sank down and sat on the ground. Her heart broken.

* * *

Maura did not return to school grounds. What was the point? Even if she did successfully sneak back onto campus between classes, she knew keeping her concentration was going to be impossible. She refused to call Lars to pick her up because she knew he would question why she was out of school. So, instead she came up with the lie of saying Frost would take her home. It was worth the hives. She took a taxi home.

Later that evening, Maura sat in her room crying. Jane had finally told her the truth, but now that she had that knowledge, she wished she hadn't. The past week had been so wonderful with Jane and her friends being so kind to her. But that friendship was all just an illusion. She had no friends.

And that kiss. It was so soft… so simple, and that overwhelming connection she had always felt between them was definitely there. That draw, but it was ten times more powerful. Maura had felt it all over. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Jane made her feel things she never thought possible. Wonderful things… hurtful things. Her mind was a muddled mess and her emotions were indescribable. Maura had never been in such a state of confusion in her life. She needed space. She needed time. She _didn't_ need Jane Rizzoli... no matter what her heart kept telling her.

* * *

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Jane and Maura had spoken. Two weeks since Jane had confessed her feelings. Two weeks since they shared that breathtaking kiss. And since then, Jane was a miserable mess. To think that over a month ago she wanted Maura to do nothing but leave her alone. Now she could not stand being away from her. She wished she could turn back time and change her ways towards Maura. She wanted to go back two years, but of course that was scientifically impossible, as Maura would say.

Jane would often see Maura during school but the blonde refused to acknowledge her presence. The brunette would even stop whatever she was doing to stare longingly after the blonde. Jane's only hope during the school day was to have one millisecond of their eyes locking, but Maura would not even grant her that. She didn't exist. And if Maura would not look her way… that might as well had been the truth. Frost kept trying to get her out of her slump but there was not much he could do. Jane had really messed up with Maura and now she was paying the price.

The last class of the school day had just ended and Jane watched from the back row as Maura quickly gathered her things and dashed out of the classroom. Jane figured it was to avoid her. She shook her head solemnly and stood from her desk. It had been like that now. Even at lunch Maura seemed to make herself scarce.

The brunette had just thrown a few of her school books in the locker when the last voice she wanted to hear was suddenly behind her.

"Hey, Janey girl. How's it hangin'?"

Joey.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Piss off, man," Jane groaned.

"Can't do that," he said crossing his arms in front of his defined chest. "I couldn't help but notice something lately."

"What?" Jane grumbled, wanting this asshole to go away.

"I haven't seen you with that hot little girlfriend of yours. She dump you or somethin'?" He smirked.

"Get the fuck away from me, Joey," Jane grumbled, slamming her locker shut. She began to walk away but the jock followed.

"I knew it!" He snickered. "I wondered what a hot piece of ass like that was doin' with you."

Jane shook her head, trying to control her temper. Her nerves were already on edge and this was the last thing she needed right now.

"What was her name? Uh, fuck what was it? Maura. Yeah, that's right. Maura."

"Leave it alone, Joey," she growled.

"So, since _Maura _kicked your sorry ass to the curb, you think she'd go for someone who actually has a dick this time?" He chuckled. "That way I could satisfy that uppity bitch in ways you never could."

Jane's anger swelled to the maximum in seconds and without any rational thoughts left in her brain, she balled her hand in a tight fist. She whipped her arm around and slugged Joey right in the cheekbone. Hard. It was a solid hit that stunned the larger boy and others in the corridor who had witnessed it.

"You watch what you fuckin' say about her," Jane dangerously snapped.

Joey's eyes dashed around the hallway, hoping no one had seen him get punched by a girl. But from the humorous looks he received, it was obvious his peers had seen it. He took a deep breath and his eyes widened as he stared Jane down. His eyes burned with rage. Jane glared right back at him.

"That's it, Rizzoli," he growled. "Now, you asked for it!"

"Bring it, you fuckin' ape," she taunted.

He lunged at the brunette, gripping her around the waist, and with the force of his large body, tackled Jane to the tiled floor. They hit the ground with a heavy thud. Similar to a swarm of bees, students quickly gathered around the two forms wrestling on the ground as chants of 'FIGHT!' 'FIGHT!' filled the hallway.

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you think?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Yeah, I didn't post on time. But hey, life happens right? Hopefully, I'll be forgiven :)**

**Also, I must say... I was happily overwhelmed with all of your responses to the last chapter! I got double the amount of reviews and was not expecting that at all. So, thanks for reading! It makes me happy to hear from you all. ALWAYS :)**

**There was a lot to cover in the chap! Happy reading my peeps!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 11**

Jane now sat outside the principal's office, with a puffy left eye and an ice pack in her hand. The nurse had placed a band aid over the deep gash on her cheek, but that did little to stop the blood that seized to slowly seep through. The left side of her torso hurt like hell anytime she attempted to lift her left arm. It even hurt if she breathed too deeply. In order to avoid further pain, she used her right arm to place the ice on her bruised left eye.

Joey was currently still in the nurse's office. His injuries were far worse. The brunette leaned her head against the wall behind her and closed her eyes. It had all happened so fast.

_After Jane was tackled to the floor, Joey began throwing punch after punch, anywhere he could land them on her body. He got one solid pound to her left cheek and then two hard blows to her ribs before Jane roughly grabbed both sides of his face and head-butted him. Not once, but twice. First, to his mouth and then to his nose. A loud crunch sounded and he groaned loudly, grabbing at his face. Jane kicked him off of her body, causing the jock to land back on his ass. Jane shakily stood to her feet, feel a burning sensation in her left side where Joey had punched her. The crowd of enthusiastic high schoolers was shouting, whooping and some groaning in sympathy at the sight of Joey's face. He now had blood running from his nose and lower lip. _

_"Urrrgh!" W__ith double the rage as before, he scrambled to his feet and lunged at Jane once again. This time, grabbing her neck. Jane struggled in his grasp for a moment but was able to swiftly lift her knee into his gut. He immediately let go of her, doubling over. Jane then delivered a solid right hook to his face._

"_Ohhhh!" The crowd shouted in unison as Joey fell to the floor._

_Suddenly, Jane was grabbed from behind and was being pulled out of the circle of students. _"_That's it, Rizzoli!" the man gripping her shouted. She recognized the voice as Mr. Korsak, one of her teachers. "You're facing expulsion for sure this time!"_

_Jane was still so hyped on adrenaline, she struggled in the larger man's arms. "Take that shit, Joey! You cocksucker!" She shouted towards the fallen boy._

"_Enough!" Korsak yelled, hauling her away._

_Two other teachers tended to Joey as the crowd began to disperse. Frost rounded the corner at that moment. He had come looking for Jane wondering why she was a no show in the parking lot and left all of his texts unanswered. Confused, he went up to one of the students and asked what happened._

"_Jane Rizzoli just kicked Joey Grant's ass!" A guy enthusiastically replied. "Best fight ever!"_

_Frost furrowed his brows and looked down the hall. That was when he spotted Mr. Korsak leading Jane towards the nurse's office. "Damn it, Jane." He growled, running down the hall to catch up._

Frost sat with Jane in the nurse's office and even outside the principal's for a while, until he had to leave to meet Annie. Jane could always count on her buddy for support. She was even touched that Frost was expressing how pissed off he was that Joey had laid a hand on her. He did not believe in hitting a woman, regardless if they hit you first. But with Frost now gone, she sat alone waiting for…

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli!" Angela shrieked as she burst into the main office. "What have you done now?!"

Jane cringed at the sound of her middle name. God help her.

After a very public verbal lashing from Angela, Jane and her mother headed out of the school's main office. Sharp pains shot up Jane's side as she walked with her mother down the hallway. She tried to make her discomfort as unnoticeable as possible, but nothing got past her mother. Angela forced Jane to go into one of the school restrooms so she could see what was wrong. The brunette had hoped that the sharp pains in her left side would eventually subside but it only seemed to be getting worse. Angela lifted Jane's shirt and saw severe blue and black bruising on her side.

"Oh, baby. You're all banged up."

"Ma, I'm fine. It's just a few bruises."

Angela shook her head, defiantly. "Something's not right, Janey," Angela shot back worriedly. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

* * *

**Two Days Later**

It was Sunday evening and Maura was sitting at the dining table with her mother, Constance. This was the first dinner they have been able to share in a long while and Maura was elated. She finally had something to smile about. During these past couple weeks, the idea of smiling was foreign to her._ Damn you Jane Rizzoli._

The dinner with her mother was going well. They engaged in light conversation about Maura's schooling and extra-curricular activities while Constance went on about her art galleries across the country and internationally.

They had just begun the main course of their meal when Constance changed the subject. "You know, darling. I haven't seen much of that girl you've been spending your time with lately."

Maura stopped the action of cutting her food, suddenly taken off guard.

"In fact," Constance continued. "I haven't heard you mention her for quiet some time. Whenever I'm home I usually never hear the end of what you two are up to."

The blonde immediately felt her mood plummet at the mention of Jane. She cleared her throat, attempting to hold her composure. "Well, mother… the reason is because she and I have had a bit of a… falling out. We're no longer on speaking terms."

"Hmm," Constance simply replied, before taking a sip of her wine. "Well, I wish I could say I was sorry to hear that, dear. But I'm glad you are no longer wasting your time socializing with people like _her._"

Maura was taken aback by her mother's distasteful tone. She was hoping her mother would at least ask her what happened or see that she was saddened about the situation. But no. What she received was a superficial response. She studied Constance quizzically. "What do you mean by that mother?"

"Maura," the older woman began. "We are civilized people who take pride in how we carry ourselves, how we look, and how we speak. People like her and those in her class, don't worry about such things. I'm sure this girl…"

"Jane. Her name is Jane Rizzoli," Maura spoke rather defensively. She even surprised herself after hearing the tone of authority in her own voice.

Constance raised an eyebrow at her. "Rizzoli…" she said, testing the name on her tongue. "An Italian. I'm sure she speaks colorfully as well," Constance muttered. "You've had your fun experimentally galloping in their world Maura, but now I'm sure you see that those are not the type of people we associate ourselves with."

Maura looked at her mother in disbelief. Constance was fitting the description of exactly what Jane was talking about. The rich, upper-class individual who had no regard nor respect for others who failed to meet their standards. That's what Jane had thought of Maura upon first seeing her and now here Maura sat with a mother who believed in such ways. She felt sick to her stomach. Jane did have a right to assume the worst of her. The brunette had been wrong of course, but Constance just proved that such bigotry truly existed... and in her family no less. This upset Maura deeply.

"An attitude such as this, mother, is what makes us seem unapproachable and superficial to others around us," Maura firmly stated.

"As it should. What can those people possibly do or say or that would hold my interest?"

Maura was quiet for a moment as her mind went back to the few weeks she had spent with Jane and the brunette's friends and family. "Many things," Maura replied. "They can show you how to cook a hearty family breakfast. They can tell you about the Red Sox baseball team, show you how to play air hockey at an arcade, or teach you how to fix a bathroom sink…" a small smile came to Maura's face as she thought of the day she and Jane battled the faucet. "They can say and teach us a lot, mother and do things that are truly amazing… and real. But of course it's your choice to listen... and I listened. It was the most exciting and wonderful time I've ever had and I would not trade it for anything."

Constance regarded her daughter with an expression of shock. Maura had actually rendered her mother speechless.

"I'm no longer hungry. Goodnight, mother." Maura stood from the dining table and walked out of the room with her head held high. Constance remained in the room... alone.

Later that evening, Maura sat in front of her vanity dresser mirror, dressed in her silk night gown, brushing her golden-brown locks, she thought of Jane. Maura knew the brunette was desperately trying to gain her attention for the past two weeks at school. She would often feel the brunette's gaze on her from across a room, burning a hole into her soul, willing her to look. But she refused. She had been so upset with the brunette. How could someone treat the person they supposedly have strong feelings for so poorly? Yes, Jane had admitted she was insecure and that explained a lot, but it still did not erase those hurtful memories. But people deserve a second chance and Maura's conversation with her mother gave her that epiphany. That extra push she needed to finally forgive Jane… starting tomorrow.

* * *

Three days. It had been three full school days and Maura had yet to see Jane on campus. The first day, Maura figured the brunette had perhaps ditched. The second day, she was a bit concerned but refused to let it bother her. Then on the third day, Maura knew something had to be wrong. Where was Jane? A part of her wanted to go to the brunette's house and find out for herself, but she instantly felt uncomfortable with the idea. She had been the one who shut Jane out. What right did she have to pop over to the her house? That option was no longer deemed as appropriate but Maura had to know what was going on.

During lunch, Maura spotted Frost chatting with a few other boys at a table. She approached the small group, placing a hand on Frost's shoulder to get his attention. "Barry?"

He turned to her and his face dropped slightly. "Hey..." he replied.

Though this was a reception she had never received from the usually happy go-lucky guy, she did not let it discourage her. "May I speak to you a moment?"

She could see he was hesitant to comply but he nodded before telling his buddies he would return. He followed Maura outside the cafeteria doors into the quieter hallway. Frost stood before her, waiting.

"Barry… I've noticed that Jane has not been coming to school the last few days," Maura began.

Frost only stared at her.

"Do you know where she is?"

Frost raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her. "You mean you haven't heard?"

Maura furrowed her brows. "Heard what?"

"Jane is the hot gossip of the week going around school."

The brunette shrugged sadly. "I have no one to gossip with, Barry."

"Oh…" Frost said, remembering Maura was not the social butterfly.

"Please, Barry. Will you tell me?"

"What do you care anyway? You won't talk to her. Hell, you don't even look her way."

Maura felt a small sting at Frost's words but what he said was true. She gave a sharp nod. "I know. I _know_," she reaffirmed at Frost's eye roll. I shouldn't care, but I do. I do very much."

Frost regarded her for a moment, reading the blonde's features. He could see the care and deep concern in Maura's eyes. "She's been suspended," he finally said.

"Suspended? Why?"

Frost sighed heavily and Maura could see the upset in his face. "She's gonna kill me when she finds out I told you this. She got in a pretty ugly fist fight with Joey Grant last Friday."

Maura gasped. "Joey? That large football player from the mini-golf course?"

Frost nodded, tightening his jaw muscles.

Worry etched Maura's features. "Oh, my gosh. Is Jane alright?"

"Uh… yes and no. They beat each other up pretty bad, but Joey took most of it. Guess he didn't know Jane took self-defense classes," he lightly smirked.

"Barry, I have to see her," Maura said with determination.

Frost lowered his eyes and shook his head.

"What?" Maura questioned, trying to read Frost. "Do you suppose she won't want to see me?"

"I don't know, Maura…"

"It's true; I have been awful to her the past few weeks but…"

"You had every right to be," Frost interrupted. "Jane understood that... and I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. It's only because Jane's my friend and we look out for each other."

"I understand."

"But you did break her heart, Maura."

The blonde lowered her eyes as she felt the guilt crawl into her soul.

"I've never seen her so down before... and I'm talkin' worse than losing the Championship hockey game. She misses you," he shrugged.

"Really? Because I miss her too," Maura softly admitted.

"Then go see her. She's been at home for the past few days, resting."

"I can't say that I have not thought about going over there, but I didn't know if I would be welcome."

"You should be fine. Plus, Jane's family adores you."

Maura smiled softly. "Thanks, Barry."

"No problem, Maura. I'll see you around," Frost smiled back, before walking back into the cafeteria.

* * *

"Maura! Oh, my goodness!" Before the blonde could react, she was swept up into a strong hug by an anxious Angela Rizzoli. "How have you been, sweetie?"

"I've been okay," she replied as Angela released her from the embrace.

"Come in, come in," Angela said, stepping aside. "Feels like I haven't seen you in forever. Are you here to see Jane?"

"Yes, I am." Maura turned to the older woman as the front door was closed behind them. "Mrs. Rizzoli, I am terribly sorry to hear what happened with Jane."

Angela sighed heavily, trying to hide her disappointment. "Thank you. Janey has that temper and she needs to learn how to control it better. I've told her not to get rough with those boys at school. Now I'm afraid she won't be able to catch up with her classes. She's been suspended for three weeks."

"Oh, dear."

"And it's her Senior year! She won't be able to graduate."

"I won't let that happen, Mrs. Rizzoli. I will do everything I can to help Jane with her school work. Whatever it takes."

"Oh..." Angela sighed, looking at Maura with pride. "Thank you, sweetheart. Jane is so lucky to have a friend like you."

Maura forced a smiled, not knowing if she truly was Jane's friend or not.

"Jane is in her room. Why don't you head on up and surprise her. I know she'll be glad to see you."

When Maura reached Jane's door she noises on the other side that sounded like a television playing. She took several calming breathes before lightly knocking on the door.

"Since when do you knock, Ma?" Jane's voice said from the other side of the door.

"It's not your mother."

There was silence for a moment.

"Maura?"

"Yes, Jane. It's me. May I come in?"

There was no response. This worried the blonde and Maura was beginning to think she made a huge mistake.

"Come in."

Relieved, Maura opened Jane's door. The brunette was sitting up in her bed with several pillows propped up behind her back. She was on top of the comforter wearing a white tank top and black silk basketball shorts. The blonde's eyes immediately caught sight of the black and blue bruising that half ringed Jane's lower left eye, along with the stitches in her upper cheek. Maura felt sympathy wash over her at the sight.

Their eyes locked. Maura had almost forgotten how dark brown, expressive and beautiful those eyes were. "Hello, Jane," Maura said, finding her voice.

"Maura... what are you doin' here?" Jane asked. There was no malice in her tone.

The blonde closed the door behind her and took a step into the room. "I heard what happened. I wanted to come see you."

"How did you find out? They talkin' about me at school?" Jane muttered.

"Actually, Frost told me."

Jane raised an eyebrow at her.

"Although, I practically had to force it out of him because he's seems to be quite protective of you."

Jane chuckled lightly but soon winced in pain, holding her side.

The blonde immediately took a step closer. "Are you okay?" Maura sincerely asked.

"I've been better," Jane grimaced.

"What are your injuries? If I may ask."

"You mean Frost didn't tell you that, too?"

Maura shook her head.

Jane pointed her right finger at the cut on her cheek. "Two stiches." She then pointed at her side. "One cracked rib."

Maura gave Jane the once over. "That's it?"

"What? That's not enough? I'm in a lot of pain here."

"No, I mean... that did not come out right. What I meant was I'm surprised that your injuries were not more severe. Especially, given Joey's size."

"I can take care of myself, that's all," Jane simply stated. She nodded towards her desk. "My x-ray is on top of that folder if you wanna take a look."

Maura inspected the x-ray of Jane's ribs in the light. "Rib number seven in the true ribs portion of your rib cage is cracked."

"Yes. It felt like a number seven when it happened," Jane tried to joke.

Maura lowered the slide and looked over at the brunette sympathetically. "Oh, Jane. Why? Why were you fighting?"

The brunette shrugged and shook her head. "It's stupid. You don't wanna hear."

"Try me." Maura placed the x-ray in the folder and back on Jane's desk.

Jane wanted to release a heavy sigh, but she knew her rib would make her be sorry. "He was saying some things that pissed me off. So I slugged him."

"But Jane, doesn't he always say things that upset you? What made you hit him this time?"

"He was saying things… about you." Jane had muttered the last part, but Maura caught.

"Me?"

"Yeah. Sick things… and I didn't like him talkin' about you that way."

"Are you saying that you got in a fight... over me?"

"Stupid, huh? Dumb, rough and tough Jane Rizzoli strikes again. I get into fights with guys, get suspended. I ditch school and I rarely, if ever do my homework." Jane shook her head sadly. "I'm nobody you'd wanna be around, Maura…" She murmured, lowering her eyes. "Nobody you should be around."

Maura stepped over to Jane and now stood by her beside. "Will you please look at me, Jane?" The brunette hesitantly raised her eyes and Maura could see the apprehension in them. Maura smiled softly, attempting to put Jane at ease. "You don't get to decide who I should spend my time with, Jane Rizzoli... and you're wrong. You're exactly the type of person I want to be around."

Jane stared at Maura dumbfounded. After all of the things this girl has witnessed and she still wanted to be around her? Was she fucking kidding her?

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Jane asked.

The blonde could only chuckle at Jane's blunt response. Jane and that mouth of hers.

"I, I'm sorry," the brunette sheepishly apologized for her use of language. "I'm mean... are you sure? I'm not the easiest person to be around."

"No, you most certainly are not. But I'm not kidding. I found that I enjoy your company, Jane... and despite the outcome of your approach to defend my honor, I find it very sweet that you stood up for me."

The brunette felt herself blushing.

"It's something someone would do for another person they care for."

Jane shyly lowered her eyes. "Well... that's because I do," Jane softly replied.

"I know," Maura said back, smiling softly at Jane's now timid demeanor. "I care too. That's why I'm here."

Jane eventually raised her eyes and met Maura's gaze. They instantaneously smiled at one another before both of them felt shy this time and averted their eyes. Their chemistry was back and it was burning stronger than ever before.

Maura's eyes caught a glimpse of what was on Jane's television. "You're watching National Geographic," she grinned, excited by the prospect of Jane expanding her horizons.

"Yeah, but only because I am temporarily restricting myself from cartoons and sports."

"Why would you do that? You like watching those."

"Yes, I do. But if I watch cartoons, I'll want to laugh and if I watch sports I'll want to yell and jump up and down like an idiot. None of that would agree with my rib right now."

"Right. That's logical."

"Thank you," Jane nodded with an air of wisdom. "So, I thought I'd settle on one of your channels. It's not so bad."

Maura lightly smiled. "Well, um... I shouldn't disturb you any longer. You need your rest."

"Uh... yeah, right," Jane said, not ready for Maura to leave just yet.

Maura began to back away fidgeting with her hands. She had wanted to touch Jane, but was afraid to. "So, I'll leave you to it. Have a good evening, Jane."

The blonde turned and headed towards the door. Maura's hand had just reached the doorknob when...

"Wait," Jane suddenly said, making Maura stop and look at her.

"They're showing a marathon of Life. You know, the show that Oprah narrated. And um… if you want, I mean, if you're not doing anything... then maybe you can…"

Maura lifted an amused eyebrows, seeing Jane struggling with her words.

Jane rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Maura. Do you wanna to watch this with me?"

Maura chuckled softly. "I'd be delighted to join you, Jane."

The blonde came around the front of the bed and joined Jane on the mattress, sitting on the brunette's uninjured side. They silently sat together a few minutes into the show and Jane glanced at Maura. This felt so good. So right.

"Thanks for coming over," Jane softly said.

The blonde looked at her and gave an amused smirk. "I had to make sure you weren't dead. You got in a fight with Joesph Grant. His body mass is much larger than yours."

"Yes, I'm aware." Jane nodded with a small smile.

They continued watching the show. Jane absentmindly tapped her fingers against her own knee and looked towards Maura again. "So…" the brunette drawled. "You were worried about me?"

Maura turned to her, catching the teasing twinkle in Jane's eye. The blonde smiled softly, hoping her blush was not noticeable. "Don't flatter yourself, Rizzoli."

Jane grinned devilishly, remembering when Maura had first said that to her at the mini-golf course. The blonde smiled back at her. Hazel eyes bright and beautiful. Jane could not help but get lost and she knew in that moment how important Maura had become to her. So she said the first thing that came into her mind before she could stop herself.

"Maura, I'm sorry."

The blonde's smile faltered at the sudden seriousness of Jane's expression.

"I'm sorry," Jane whispered again.

Maura stared at Jane and realization masked her features as she suddenly understood. "Jane, you don't…"

"I do. I'm sorry, Maura… for how I treated you these past couple years. For bullying you the way I did and judging you without even knowing you. I _was_ coward. You were right. I had no right to do that to you."

Maura stared at the brunette, not sure if she could believe her eyes. Suddenly, she felt Jane's hand in her own and their fingers seemed to naturally intertwine. Maura looked down at their joined hands and felt a sense of warmth and butterflies run through her body.

"This okay?" Jane cautiously asked.

"Yea..." Maura's voice squeaked. "Um, yes," she reaffirmed. Jane's hand seemed to squeeze hers a little tighter then.

"Maura," Jane continued, making the blonde's eyes meet her own. "You're the smartest, most incredible, beautiful girl I've ever met. You're amazing and I just…" Suddenly flashes of the many things Jane did to Maura went through her head. The various times she would see pleading eyes that would silently ask the question, why? Those hurt and saddened expressions that would come over the blonde's face. It was all because of her. How could she do that to such a caring soul such as Maura Isles? Jane's guilt came crashing upon her in an overwhelming wave and tears rapidly began to form in her eyes. "I hate myself for hurting you so much," she breathed. "God, I'm… I'm so sorry, Maura."

Jane covered her face and tried to stop herself from sobbing. She felt so embarrassed and vulnerable; not her normal badass persona at all.

As Maura listened to the broken girl beside her, she not only saw how remorseful Jane was but felt it as well, like a crushing grip on her heart.

"Jane…" she softly whispered. She gently pulled Jane's hands from her face and tilted the brunette's head up. Sad brown eyes, full of tears looked back at her. Maura bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back tears of her own. Jane Rizzoli, her tormentor for the past two years, had finally said the words she had been longing to hear. _I'm sorry._ And meant it.

Maura's hands were cupping Jane's face. With her thumb, the blonde caressed just under the cut on Jane's cheek. Jane had gotten that defending her name. No one had ever done that for her before. Maura leaned in gently placing her lips where her thumb had just been.

Jane instantly closed her eyes at the feeling of Maura's soft lips against her skin. Time seemed to slow down and her heart began to pound. There was nothing more wonderful than this feeling.

Maura slowly pulled back and looked at Jane. The brunette's eyes were still closed and Maura leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. "I forgive you, Jane," she whispered.

The brunette felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She released a breath of relief but leaned away, cringing at the sudden pain in her side. "Ow…"

The blonde winced in sympathy, knowing there was nothing she could do for the injury. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Jane grumbled. "It'll pass." The brunette looked at the girl in front of her in amazement. "How, Maura?"

The blonde tilted her head in question, waiting for Jane to elaborate.

"How could you forgive me?"

"By seeing the real Jane Rizzoli… and I like her very much. Thank you for letting me see her." Maura was the one to reach over and join their hands this time.

Jane smiled softly and was still surprised by the electric connection she felt whenever their hands touched. "Thank you, for forgiving me."

* * *

**A/N: Whoomp, there it is! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I know… where the hell have I been right? Believe me, I never miss an update unless life throws a hell of a curve-ball my way and that's exactly what happened. So, please enjoy this chapter and I will try to have the next one up soon. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 12**

Jane was tired of feeling useless. She wanted to go out and play ball, laugh until she couldn't breathe, or even stretch her hands above her head to give her muscles some relief, but she couldn't. This was all because of fucking Joey Grant and this damn rib injury. The only thing, well, person that has been brightening her dark moods was Maura.

It had been nearly three weeks since Maura had granted Jane her forgiveness and since then the two girls have been inseparable. Maura liked spending time with Jane and Jane liked spending time with Maura. It was that simple. In fact, the only reason Jane was allowed to see Maura, despite her being grounded, was because the blonde was keeping her up to speed with their school lessons. Maura was going over to the Rizzoli household at least three or four times per week and when she didn't come over, she and Jane would talk or text on the phone. They would be up in Jane's room where she and the brunette would go over school assignments and homework. Realistically, Jane could give a rat's ass what she missed in school, but if it meant more time with Maura and making Angela happy, she was fine with it.

During these study sessions, they began to talk and get to know each other better. As the weeks progressed they grew closer as friends. This new friendship was a wonderful thing of course, however, they both new there was still an unexplained connection between them. Quite often they would share these little moments that undoubtedly displayed feelings that went beyond friendship. Individually or at the same time, Jane and Maura found themselves intoxicated by the attraction for one another. They would sense that overwhelming draw, but then quickly push those feelings aside for the sake of their new friendship.

An occurrence of one of these moments happened just last week, when Jane had gotten the stitches removed from her cheek.

_Jane was in the den, sitting on the couch when she heard her mother greeting Maura at the front door. Seconds later, Maura entered the den, looking as beautiful as ever in one of her school dresses. Jane quickly pushed the thought away and gave a friendly smile, concealing her true thoughts. "Hey, Maura."_

"_Hi, Jane. Why aren't you up in your room?" She asked quizzically, sitting beside the brunette._

_"Pure laziness..." Jane grumbled, from her slightly slump position on the couch. "After I went to the doctor I didn't really feel like battling the staircase until I had to."_

_"Oh, I see," the blonde nodded. She knew even climbing a staircase caused Jane to have pain. "So, your stitches are out now. May I?" She asked, indicating she wanted to take a closer look._

_Jane smiled lightly and sat up a bit. She raised the leg closest to Maura onto the couch and turned her body towards the blonde. "You know I can't deny you that," Jane purred._

_Maura scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Shut up."  
_

_Jane let out a soft chuckle as Maura cupped her face. As the blonde inspected her wound, Jane could not help but stare at the beautiful girl in front of her. Those striking hazel eyes, those well sculpted cheekbones, those plump kissable lips. This felt much like the time when Maura had tended to her nose during the football game at the park. Her heart was beating fast and Jane knew she was still infatuated with this girl. But they were becoming friends now, and that was a line Jane was afraid to cross. Jane attempted to control her breathing as Maura delicately ran a thumb under the light pink cut on her cheek, _

_"They did a good job," Maura commented, still eyeing the injury. "You'll hardly notice a scar there."_

_"I'm glad you approve doctor," Jane lightly smirked. Again, trying to conceal her true feelings with humor._

_Maura grinned and her eyes met Jane's. Their smiles slowly slipped away as they got lost in each other's gaze and just… stared. Maura felt her heart skip a beat at the look Jane was giving her. God, that look was the death of her. It was not a lustful, I want to take you now look. It was more of an adoring look; like Maura was the only girl in the world that mattered. The butterflies fluttered like crazy in her stomach. She knew she could get lost in those dark depths. Her thumb unconsciously continued to gently caress under the line on Jane's cheek.  
_

_"So, Maura!" Angela boomed, coming into the den._

_Jane and Maura quickly pulled away from one another, Jane cringing at the sudden move. She held her side as a sharp pain struck her. Angela frowned with concern, seeing her daughter's action. "Janey, are you okay?"_

"_Yeah, ma. You just startled me when you came in."_

"_Sorry, sweetie," she cooed. "I didn't mean to." Angela looked to the blonde. "Maura? Will you be joining us for dinner?"  
_

_"Oh, I'm..." Maura glanced at Jane and then back at Angela. "I'd love to, as long as I'm not imposing. I feel like I've had so many free meals here. I don't want to seem as though I'm taking advantage of your generosity."  
_

_"You're not, hun." Angela smiled. "I make too much food anyway. Plus, Janey loves having you around too."  
_

_"Mom!" Jane practically shrieked._

_Maura giggled lightly._

"_What?" The older woman shrugged. "Okay, I've got to finish up the food. I'll leave you two alone," she grinned before exiting the den._

_Jane covered her eyes with her hand. "God, that woman…" she grumbled._

_Maura chuckled some more, looking at the embarrassed girl beside her. "She only holds your best interest at heart, Jane."_

"_Yeah, yeah…" the brunette mumbled._

_Maura bit her lip slightly, as she attempted to hide her smile. She was going to ignore what Angela mentioned, but she couldn't resist. "Do you really like having me around?"_

_Jane removed her hand from her face and narrowed her eyes at Maura with a smirk on her lips. "I knew you wouldn't let that go."_

_Maura only smiled at her, waiting for a response._

_Jane only shook her head before looking at the blonde earnestly. "I think you already know the answer to that."_

_Maura shyly looked away with a small smile. She immediately knew that Jane was referring to the confession at the aquarium. Since that day, they had avoided rehashing that moment between them but sometimes it would be sidestepped in conversation. It was the past and this was the beginning of their new friendship._

_Jane ran a hand through her untamed hair. "So, how'd school go?"_

_Maura noticed Jane was attempting to break the heavy tension between them so she proceeded to tell the brunette about her academics for the day._

* * *

_Present Time_

It was Thursday evening and they were currently up in Jane's bedroom, just finishing up some school work. The brunette closed her math book and slowly reclined back on her bed, placing her right arm under her head. Maura set their books aside and moved over to sit beside the brunette. She frowned with concern when Jane let out a pained grunt.

"How is your side feeling?" The blonde asked, looking down at Jane.

"Mmm, better," the brunette replied. "It still hurts. I just want to be okay again, yeah know? "I wanna go out and play… something, anything! Hell, I'll even do fencing!"

Maura raised an eyebrow at her. "And that's saying a lot."

"Yep," Jane smiled lightly. "No offense to your sport of course."

"Oh, none taken."

They both smiled at each other, enjoying the light-heartedness of the conversation.

"Have you been taking your pain medications as scheduled?"

"Yeah," Jane grumbled. "And that's no fu- freakin' picnic either."

Maura smiled softly as the brunette stopped herself from cursing. She thought it was adorable with Jane was pouty and grumpy like this.

"How does your bruise look?"

"It's kind of this awesome yellowish-brown color right now," Jane proudly said. The brunette looked at Maura in amusement and played with the hem of her t-shirt. "You wanna take a look?"

A look of shock suddenly crossed Maura's features. "No!" She quickly sputtered. The blonde did not mean to be so sudden with her answer, but she did not know how she would react, seeing those perfect abs again. Probably drool and stare like an idiot.

Jane noticed how flustered the blonde became and it made her grin giddily. She found she liked to tease Maura, but only in a friendly matter. "You sure? Cus, it kinda looks like you wanna look under my shirt."

"I do not!" Maura defended, trying not to blush. "I'll take your word for it, thank you. I don't need to see it."

"Okay," the brunette shrugged. "You're missing out."

Maura glanced away for a moment, and then a smile came across her face. "There's not much to look at under there anyway."

Jane's mouth gapped open, pleasantly surprised by the blonde's comment. "Maura Isles, are you insulting me?" She grinned.

Maura gave a sideways smirk. "Maybe."

"You've been hanging around me too long."

This had been another common occurrence between them now… friendly flirting. But they always knew not to take it too far or interpret things the wrong way.

Maura felt her stomach flutter at the smile Jane gave her. She cleared her throat and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear to distract herself. "Um, the yellowish-brown color of your bruising is called bilirubin. That's the normal breakdown of heme catabolism. The yellow is a good sign because it indicates the final stages of healing. The hemoglobin from your blood cells-"

"Maura…" Jane cut in.

"What?"

"You're doing that nervous rambling thing. You know, when you go on about science stuff and I have no idea what you're talking about?"

"Oh…" Maura said in realization. "I'm sorry," she lowered her eyes sheepishly. "It must annoy you."

"No... I don't mind it. Actually, it's kinda cute…"

"Really?" Maura asked with surprise.

"Yeah," Jane shrugged. "You're just really hard to comprehend, doctor."

Maura smiled and narrowed her eyes, knowing Jane was poking fun at her. "Why do you keep calling me doctor? I don't have a license, Jane."

"But that's what you want to be, right? So, as your friend, I have every right to call you doctor. Even though it's unofficial," she smirked.

Maura's breath caught and she looked at Jane. "So, we're friends?"

Jane shifted her eyes from her ceiling over to Maura. She saw the shimmering hope in the blonde's eyes and the sight melted her heart. "Yeah, I think we've reached that point, Maur," Jane softly smiled, before looking up at the ceiling.

The blonde felt her heart expand when she heard Jane abbreviate her name. She smiled warmly and looked at Jane. The brunette felt Maura's stare and quirked her eyebrow before turning towards her.

"What?" Jane smirked.

"Nothing," Maura said. "This is just nice. I've never had a real friend before."

Jane smiled softly at that. She heard the genuine truth and a bit of sadness in Maura's voice. "Well, I'm proud to be your first," Jane grinned cheekily, wiggling her eyebrows.

Maura rolled her eyes and blushed.

Both of them felt warm-fuzzy feelings inside. The moment was broken by a sudden knocking on Jane's door.

"Yeah?!" Jane called.

The door opened and Frankie popped his head through the doorway.

"Hey, guys. Dinner is done."

"Cool. I'm starving," Jane groaned as she slowly got up from the bed.

Frankie met them in the hallway as they began to walk towards the stairs.

"Janey, can I talk to you a minute?" He gave a friendly look towards Maura, indicating he wanted this to be a private conversation. Jane saw this and turned to the blonde as well. Maura smiled softly with a nod.

"I'll meet you downstairs," whispered to Jane, lightly grasping the brunette's bicep in passing.

Jane smiled at her. "Okay." Jane looked after her until she began descending the stairs. She turned to Frankie and saw a sly grin on his face. "What's up?"

"I wanna be just like you when I grow up."

Jane furrowed her brows. "What?"

"So I'll be able to have a hot girl in my room all day too."

"Very funny, Frankie. Was that it?"

"Nope. You and Maura."

Jane shrugged with impatience. "What about us?"

"You're in there making out with her aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Jane's eyebrows shot up and she gapped at her brother. "Wha... No! Why would you think... no!"

"Come on, Janey. You can tell me."

"There's nothin' to tell, Frankie. You're way off base." Jane was beginning to get annoyed.

"Are you sure? Because you guys spend a lot of time together."

"That's what friends do and she's helping me with school."

"Yeah, right friends… you guys look at each other all day with mushy eyes."

Jane scoffed with a frown. "No we don't."

"Yea, you do," Frankie smirked knowingly.

"Look," Jane began in a hushed whispered so they weren't overheard. "Me and Maura are _just_ friends. There's nothing else going on between us."

He shrugged. "If you say so, Janey. But if there was something going on, I'd be okay with it. Maura is a cool girl. That's all I'm sayin'."

Jane thought that was nice of her brother to say, but she was still pissed at his insinuation. "_And_ all I'm sayin' is we're just friends."

"Fine," he relented. "Have you at least seen her boobs?"

Jane punched him in the arm and roughly pushed his head to the side. "Hey!" He cringed, holding his shoulder. "Girls do that stuff."

"We don't flash our boobs at each other you dick." She rolled her eyes.

Frankie shrugged once more before turning and hustling down the stairs. Jane followed, but at a much slower pace.

When Jane entered the kitchen, Maura and Tommy were already seated at the table and Frankie was behind the stove, plating his spaghetti. The blonde looked up and softly smiled at her when their eyes met. Wow. There was a certain way Maura would look at her. An 'I like you' look. Jane lightly smiled back.

"There you are. Come and eat up before your food gets cold," Angela said.

Jane headed over to the stove.

"Oh, Jane," Maura began. "This is yours." She pointed to the plate of spaghetti next to her. "I fixed your plate for you."

"Oh…" Jane glanced towards Frankie. He had a smug smirk on his face as he took his seat at the table, beside Tommy. "Thanks, Maur."

"How's the _studying _going?" Tommy grinned.

Jane heard the insinuation in his voice and she shot Tommy a nasty look.

"It's going really well, Tommy. Thanks for asking. Jane should be all caught up before she goes back to school Monday."

Of course Maura was oblivious to Tommy's suggestive remark, but Jane knew something was up. Tommy and Frankie must have had a little discussion about her and Maura's relationship. Now she was really pissed off and self-conscious; two feelings that were a bad combo in Jane Rizzoli. What right did her brothers have to analyze her and Maura's friendship? A part of her guessed that they knew she had a crush on the blonde. She was constantly mentioning Maura for the past two years. And now that they have become close, Frankie and Tommy now had their suspicions. Those little fuckers.

As dinner progressed, Maura noticed Jane seemed to be acting strangely. Her answers were in short replies and she barely made eye contact with Maura. As if she was distracted by something.

When Jane walked her out to her car later that evening, Maura had to know what was troubling her friend.

"Jane, is there something wrong?"

The brunette shook her head. "No. Why?"

"You seem… distant. Did I do something?"

Shit. Maura could tell something was bothering her, but Jane did not feel comfortable sharing what was really on her mind.

"Wha… no, Maur. I guess I'm just, thinking about going back to school again, that's all. I'll have a lot of work to catch up on."

"True, but I told you everything you need to know. You'll be fine," Maura encouraged.

"Yeah…"

Maura studied the brunette, knowing Jane was still not telling her everything. "Are you sure that's all that's bothering you?"

Jane lowered her eyes for a second then met Maura's gaze. "I'm sure."

Maura narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Did Frankie say something to upset you?"

Geez, was this girl able to read her mind? "Okay, yes he did."

"And?"

"And it's… personal… a family thing." Jane scratched behind her ear nervously. "I can't talk to you about it."

Jane noticed Maura's face drop slightly and she immediately regretted what she just said.

"Oh…" the blonde softly replied. "Okay then." She opened her car door.

"Maura…"

"No, I understand. It's a family thing," Maura replied with a hint of hurt in her voice. She climbed into her car and shut the door.

"Maura!" Jane knocked on the window.

Maura reluctantly rolled it down.

"Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not."

"You are."

Maura sighed heavily and lowered her eyes.

Jane nervously ran a hand through her unruly curls. "Look, I wanna to tell you but…"

"You can't," Maura firmly finished for her.

Jane hung her head as the blonde started the car. "Good night, Jane." Maura rolled up her window and pulled away from the curb.

The brunette watched the Lexus disappear down the street and she felt her heart drop down to her stomach. She was too much of a coward to tell Maura about Frankie's assumption about them being romantically involved and now the blonde was upset with her. How did this shit storm happen so fast?

"And the award for worst friend goes to… me… fuck," she cursed herself.

* * *

The next day, Jane had not heard from Maura. She knew her texts were being ignored because even if Maura was in school, she still managed to text her back fairly soon, but there was nothing. She had even waited until the blonde was out of school before trying to call her. Nothing. This was really unnerving the brunette. She may have ruined her friendship with the most wonderful girl in the world in just a matter of weeks! She needed to talk to someone, so she called old reliable.

"What's up, Jane?"

"Hey, Frost. You have time to talk for a little bit?"

He heard the tone of Jane's voice and immediately knew something was wrong. "You alright?"

"Ugh… not really," Jane mumbled.

"Talk to me."

Jane told him about Frankie's assumption of her and Maura dating and how she thinks Maura is mad at her because she shut the blonde out.

"So why didn't you just tell her what Frankie said?"

"I don't know. I was fucking embarrassed I guess. And what pissed me off even more was that he was right."

"Frankie was right that you guys were making out?"

"No!" Jane whined. "That Maura and I look at each other with mushy eyes. I didn't notice it until he mentioned it to me though. Have you noticed too?"

"Oh, yeah," Frost replied. "For a while."

"And I'm the last to know," Jane huffed. "But I can't help how I look at her. Whenever she's around me I just feel… I don't know… happy."

"I think she feels the same."

"Yeah?"

"Dude, whenever Maura talks about you at school, her eyes light up with freakin' stars in them."

This made Jane smile briefly. "I thought if I told her it would scare her away and things would change between us."

"Jane. You used to bully the girl for God's sake and she's become one of your best friends. She likes to be around you. She's had plenty of chances to be scared off."

The brunette bit her bottom lip in contemplation. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I have to fix this now."

Her cell phone suddenly made a beep noise, indicating she had a text message. She held the phone away from her face and her heart stopped when she saw who it was from. Jane quickly put her phone on speaker.

"I just got a text from Maura."

"What's it say?"

"Hang on." She opened the message.

_Sorry, I won't be able to come over and study today. I do not feel well. -Maura_

Jane let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, that shows she's still pissed at me."

"Maybe she really is sick."

"Nice try, Frost. But I doubt it. I have to go see her."

"Now?"

"Yeah, now. Can I borrow your car? My mom is out with a few friends tonight."

"For the sake of love, I shall grant you this favor."

"Thank you. And shut-up. It's not love."

Frost let out a knowing laugh. "I'll meet you by the stop sign."

Jane quickly got dressed and walked a block down the street to the stop sign. This was halfway between Frost's house and hers, so the distance was not too bad. After getting her mode of transportation and 'go get your girl' cheers from Frost, she made the drive over to Maura's house. She would be damned if she was going to ruin this relationship.

* * *

**A/N: Hang in there for Rizzles! It won't be long now**!


	13. Chapter 13

**So, I completely forgot to mention that this story was nominated for a Rizzles Fan Award, which I had never heard before now but I am honored. So, a big thank you for the nominator! Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 13**

Jane parked in the large semi-circle driveway of Maura's house and walked up the wide stone steps for the first time. As she approached the tall Portobello mahogany front doors, she instantly felt out of sorts. This place was way too fancy for someone like her to even image living in, let alone step inside of. The anxious feeling almost made her turn around and leave but she had to see Maura, no matter what.

Jane took a breath and rang the doorbell. A moment later, she saw a blurry figure approaching through the glass of the door. When the door opened, Jane immediately recognized Maura's driver, Lars. The man seemed to recognize her as well and gave her a curious look. "Yes?" He asked.

Jane nervously cleared her throat. This guy was intimidating as hell. "Hi. I'm Maura's friend, Jane. We go to school together."

"Yes, I know who you are."

The brunette looked at the man as he waited for her to state her business. "Okay, well. The reason I came over is to see if Maura was home."

"Is she expecting you?"

Jane looked down and shuffled her weight from side to side. "No, um… I kinda wanted to surprise her."

She met Lars' gaze and saw an unconvinced look on his face. He did not make a move from his stance, continuing to block entry into the house.

"Okay look," Jane said, deciding to level with the man. "She's a little mad at me right now and I wanted to come over and apologize face to face. Maura is one of the nicest and most caring people I have ever met and I want to make it right between us. So, can I see her? Please?"

Lars' features seemed to soften a bit as he regarded the young woman in front of him. "You may come in." He stepped aside and allowed Jane to enter the foyer.

"Thank you." As the brunette took in her surroundings her eyes practically bulged from their sockets. The first thing she noticed was the massive staircase that split off into two opposite directions to the second floor. Jane then looked around further, craning her neck to look in other rooms. From what she could see, the place was elegantly decorated with the most expensive furnishings she had ever seen. Above their heads was a massive crystal chandelier. "Whoa…" Jane whispered to herself.

"Follow me," Lars instructed. "I believe Maura is still in the library." He quickly began walking down the hall.

Jane broke out of her daze and quickly fell into step behind Lars. They passed a few closed rooms until they stopped in front of some double doors. One of which was slightly cracked open.

Lars knocked lightly before opening the door further. "Maura?"

"Yes, Lars?" Jane heard the blonde's voice reply. The brunette stood out of sight.

"You have a visitor." Lars then looked at Jane, indicating for her to step forward.

Jane swallowed nervously before stepping into the doorway. Inside the room were shelves of books that were neatly stacked around the circumference of the room. She spotted Maura sitting Indian style on the ground with a book in her lap.

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise when she saw her guest. "Jane?"

"Hey…" the brunette replied, sheepishly stepping into the room.

The blonde sniffled and wiped at her eyes before quickly standing from the floor. "I… I wasn't expecting you." She said, straightening her pink blouse and black capri leggings.

Jane had never seen Maura dress so casually before and with very little make up. It made her seem… _more real…_ if that made any sense. Under all of those glamorous clothes and make up was a regular teenaged girl, like her. It was the girl Jane desperately wanted to get to know better.

"This was sort of just an impulse thing," Jane finally replied.

Jane glanced at Lars and he was looking dead at her. It made her feel uneasy and if she were to take one step further into the room, it would be the last step she ever took. Jeez, was the guy her bodyguard too?

Maura shifted her eyes over to the man still lurking in the doorway. "Thank you, Lars. We're okay, here."

Lars looked to the blonde and gave a small nod. He raised a curious eyebrow at Jane before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Jane was relieved. She always received a good case of the heebies-jeebies from that guy.

They stood silently in the large room for a moment. Jane nervously pushed back her unruly curls from her face. "I thought Lars was only your driver."

"He's our butler. Driving is just part of his job description," the blonde softly replied.

"Oh," Jane nodded and stepped further into the room. She looked at Maura's face and that's when she noticed. Oh crap. Maura's eyes were a little puffy and a bit red. That was an obvious sign of crying. Unfortunately, Jane knew what Maura looked like after she had cried. The brunette felt her heart constrict with guilt.

"I'm sorry for showing up like this," she said, stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her dark jeans. "I've never even been officially invited inside your house before."

"No, its fine," the blonde replied, gently shaking her head. "What brings you here?"

"You." They looked into each other's eyes silently before Jane continued. "I'm sorry for being a jerk last night and being… distant."

The blonde lowered her eyes. She wanted to forgive Jane and that was becoming extremely easy after the brunette said she had come all the way on her side of town just for her.

Maura raised her eyes and looked at the brunette. "I just wanted to understand why you were acting that way," Maura softly responded.

"I know," Jane gently spoke.

"So, what was it, Jane?"

Jane scratched behind her neck. Maura noticed this and recently picked up that it was an indicator of Jane's nervousness.

"It wasFrankie and what he had said to me before dinner. He asked me if you and I were… together," Jane awkwardly said.

Maura frowned, slightly confused.

"Like… dating each other," Jane further explained.

The blonde's eyebrows shot up in realization. "Oh…" Maura uttered.

"Yeah…"

"Well, um…" the blonde pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shyly ducked her eyes to the floor. "Why would he think that?"

The brunette shrugged. "I don't know. He said something about us spending a lot of time together and that we…" Jane shook her head, discontinuing her sentence.

The blonde frowned. "That we what?"

"We look at each other with… he called it _mushy _eyes."

"Mushy eyes?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. Well, I've never heard of that term before, but I think I may know what he means, I suppose."

"You do?" Jane asked unsure.

"Yes. It means we look at each other with a sense of… affection. I mean, given the history of our relationship and all that we've been through to reach a functional friendship at this point in time, I can understand how certain expressions of how we feel towards one another could be interpreted as something more than platonic."

Jane stared at her. "Wow. That was a lot."

Maura let out a nervous chuckle and Jane soon followed. She stepped closer to the blonde as their laughing died down. Jane looked at the blonde with sincere eyes. "But see? That's why I didn't tell you. I was kinda embarrassed that my brother thought of us in that way. I mean, we just started this great friendship thing and I thought his idea of us, ya know… would make it weird."

"I understand now, Jane. I can see how it could make things seem uncomfortable, but it doesn't. Really."

"Good," Jane said with relief. She stepped closer so they were only a few feet apart. Now she could really study the blonde's face carefully. "You've been crying. Are you okay?"

Maura nodded as she looked into soft brown eyes. "I am now," she whispered, giving a sad smile.

Jane moved even closer and tentatively opened her arms. Maura smiled softly and did not hesitate to embrace Jane in a friendly hug. They both closed their eyes and released all of the stress that was built up inside of them. Maura instantly felt safe and cared for in the brunette's arms.

Jane savored the moment and was intoxicated by Maura's smell. It was a vanilla scent with a hint of some sort of fruit. Jane loved it. She figured it must be Maura's shampoo. "I don't like when you're mad at me," Jane mumbled. "You're _really_ good at making me feel guilty."

Maura chuckled lightly. They finally broke the embrace; both happy matters were settled between them. Maura's hands were gently settled around the brunette's wrists.

"Oh!" Suddenly, Maura's face brightened. She remembered something super exciting she wanted to share with Jane. "Do you want to see something cool?" Maura grinned.

Jane was surprised by Maura's sudden change in mood and smiled slightly. "Is it your rock collection?" She guessed.

Maura turned her head to the side quizzically. "I don't have a rock collection."

"I'm kidding, Maur."

"Oh. Well, a rock collection is ideal but no, it's not that." Now she only grasped one of Jane's hands and pulled her towards the door. "Follow me."

Maura hurriedly dragged Jane down the hallway and led the brunette up the large steps, turning to the left. The walls of the long corridor were decorated with various paintings and mirrors and the floor was a rich dark wood.

They eventually made it to Maura's room. Of course it was enormous and put Jane's little bedroom to shame. The walls were painted the color of bold sangria, a beautiful shade of purple. The walls were bare, aside from a framed picture of the periodic table. There was a huge bed with white linens and a stunning canopy. Off to the side was a bookshelf fully stocked with science and history texts and not far from that was a makeup vanity. There were also two other doors in the room which Jane assumed went to either a walk-in closet or a full bath.

"Nice room," Jane commented, looking around.

"Thank you. Over here," the blonde beckoned her. "This is what I wanted to show you."

Jane walked across the room to where Maura stood and approached a small glass tank that was sitting on a table. Curious to see what animal was inside, Jane looked closely. "Oh, wow! I didn't know you had a turtle."

"It's a tortoise actually, an African-spurred tortoise. He's only 5 weeks old, but he'll grow to be almost 200 pounds."

"Whoa."

"Want to hold him?"

"Sure."

Maura reached inside the tank and as soon as her hands touched the little shell, the animal retreated slightly. She lifted him out of the tank so Jane could take a closer look. The blonde placed the small tortoise in Jane's palm. When the animal realized there was no threat, he curiously poked out his head from his shell.

The brunette examined his small form. From his scaly little legs, to his beady little eyes and tiny tail. "He's really cute," Jane smiled. She gently pet his head with one of her fingers. "What's his name? Raphael? Michelangelo?"

Recognition brightened Maura's features. "Names of historical Italian artists of the High Renaissance era," she happily noted.

"Uh… no, Maur I was talking about… never mind," Jane shook her head. She knew attempting to explain the concept of the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles would be a waste of time. "So what'd you name 'em?"

"Bass."

"Bass?"

"Yes, named after the renowned forensic pathologist, William M. Bass."

Jane chuckled lightly. "You are such a science geek."

"Yes, but if I recall, you like that about me."

Jane furrowed her brows, looking at the ceiling. "Did I say that?" She asked with mock ignorance.

"You did indeed."

The brunette looked at Bass. "No, I didn't. Did I Bass?" she playfully questioned the tortoise.

"Okay, you've lost your baby tortoise privileges," Maura said, removing the animal from Jane's hand.

"Aw…" Jane pouted.

Maura gently placed the tiny tortoise back in its glass tank. She then grinned at the brunette and playfully shoved her shoulder. "Stop pouting."

"Whoa, easy there. I'm an injured woman, remember?"

The blonde chuckled lightly. They watch Bass a bit longer as he slowly meandered around his tank. Maura's gaze shifted to the girl beside her and she smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Jane."

The brunette turned to her and noticed the soft genuine expression Maura was giving her. It made her feel giddy inside. "Me too," she softly replied.

Maura regarded her a bit longer before smiling to herself. She saw Jane's gentle, soft expression and the adoration shining in those brown eyes. "Hmm, interesting," the blonde noted.

"What?"

"You have this look in your eyes."

"What look?"

A slow smile formed on Maura's face. "Mushy eyes," she teased.

Jane laughed lightly with a shake of her head as she tried to hide her blush. She knew Maura was messing with her. "Right," Jane jokingly replied.

"But it's a very specific mushy eyes," Maura continued, as if she were giving a lecture to a classroom.

"This should be good…" Jane mumbled to herself, but she humored Maura in this game. "And what mushy eyes would that be?"

"Oh, I've seen it before," Maura confidently replied with a smile. "It's the 'I want to kiss you' one." Maura said, brushing past Jane's shoulder.

Jane raised her eyebrows. "Really?" She asked incredulously, turning towards the blonde.

"Uh-huh," Maura nodded with a playful grin. She now stood in the center of the room, a few paces away from Jane.

"Well, if you're right, which I'm not saying you are. I wouldn't even try to kiss you because I'd be slapped in the face for it."

Maura chuckled lightly, shyly ducking her eyes. She knew Jane was referring to that specific encounter at the aquarium. She looked at the brunette once more. "I'm sorry about that," she spoke with a hint of guilt, but still smiled.

"Yeah, you should be but it was a solid slap, I'll give you that. Good follow through."

Maura giggled a bit more and shook her head at Jane's silly comment. She smiled at the brunette. "You want to test your luck this time?" Maura playfully suggested, taking a step back.

Jane raised an eyebrow at her and took a step closer. "Careful, Isles. I think I might."

"You don't have the guts," the blonde taunted, backing away further.

"Is that a challenge? _You're _challenging _me_?"

Maura grinned, enjoying their teasing banter. "I am, Jane Rizzoli. You think you can handle that?"

Jane scoffed. "I can handle anything."

"Come here, then." She grasped Jane's hand and pulled her closer.

Maura's unexpected action made their bodies collide and they both chuckled as they practically bunked heads. The brunette placed her hands on Maura's waist for balance as they laughed.

"Sorry," Maura snickered.

"It's okay…" Jane smiled.

The brunette soon realized their close proximity and nervousness suddenly masked her features. All teasing was pushed aside. Jane swallowed audibly as she looked into Maura's smiling eyes.

Maura caught the seriousness in Jane's face and her giddy smile also faded. Jane was not joking anymore. Was Jane wondering if Maura really would not mind if she kissed her for real? Her eyes fluttered down to Jane's lips before moving up to unsure brown eyes. "Jane?" She breathed.

"What if I really did?" Jane whispered softly.

Maura's heart fluttered and she stared back into serious brown eyes. "I… I don't know if you should," she replied, losing her sense of reason, being this close to Jane.

"Me either… but I… _really _want to."

Maura exhaled in a small breath that wisped across Jane's lips. "We're friends…"

Jane closed her eyes momentarily, enjoying the feeling and she moved her face even closer. "Yeah… friends."

They hovered there silently a bit longer. Both of them were waiting for the other to make the next move. Maura took a small breath and spoke once more.

"Jane… at the aquarium…" Maura whispered. "All those things you said. Do you still feel that way?"

Jane's jaw muscles tightened and she nodded. Her eyes never left Maura's. "Yes… I never stopped feeling that way."

Maura's heart pounded even harder at Jane's words. Slowly they inched closer. Their lips just millimeters apart as their breaths of anticipation mingled together. Then it happened. Maura instantly closed her eyes and her entire world stopped. Jane's lips against hers were so gentle… so caring… she thought her heart would explode. The kiss was brief but was enough to make them see fireworks behind their eyes.

They pulled back for a moment and slowly opened their eyes. Hazel stared into brown as overwhelming feelings ran through their bodies. Surprise, happiness and satisfaction glimmered in their gazes. Jane found her voice first.

"I can't just be friends with you, Maura," she whispered.

Maura cupped Jane's cheek and smiled softly. "I know… me either."

Jane smiled back before slowly leaning in once more, capturing Maura's lips. Maura willingly allowed herself to be led in this dance. She slowly began to move her lips against Jane's. She soon felt Jane's hand move to her lower back and draw her closer. A moan escaped between her lips and the sound made a shiver run through Jane's body. When the blonde's mouth opened slightly, her tongue accidentally flickered against Jane's lips and then retreated. Jane wanted that tongue in her mouth. Jane slowly opened her mouth slightly so the blonde would feel her tongue against her lips. A thrilling chill ran through Maura as she caught on to what Jane wanted. Her arms wrapped around Jane's shoulders and she opened her mouth allowing Jane's hot tongue access for the first time. Jane couldn't stifle the groan she released as their tongues moved together. Jane moved both of her arms around the blonde's body, pulling her flush against her front. God, Maura felt so good against her.

They kissed deeply like this for what felt like hours until they finally had to pull apart for air. Maura's head was swimming as she tried to regain her focus and catch her breath. She leaned her forehead against Jane's. They both had their eyes closed, enjoying the closeness.

"That…" Maura breathed. "That was… I can't even say."

Jane chuckled lightly. "Have I made Maura Isles speechless?"

They opened their eyes and smiled sweetly at one another.

"I'm just glad you didn't slap me this time."

Maura smiled and shook her head. "No, I won't slap you but I'll do this." She leaned in a placed a tender kiss on Jane's lips.

The brunette closed her eyes and a small smile curled her lips. "I don't mind that at all."

Maura's arms were still draped around Jane's neck as her fingers played with a few strands of dark hair. "So, we kissed."

"Yes, we did."

"And now we're more than friends," Maura stated.

Jane gave a nod as her eyes darkened, looking at Maura's lips. Now that she has had a taste of them, it was going to be much harder to restrain her urges.

"Now, what do we do?" Maura curiously asked.

"Now…" Jane took Maura's hands in her own and gave the blonde a soft smile. "I guess I take you on a date."

Maura chuckled as did Jane. They continued to stand there, foreheads together, not knowing what the future would hold for their new relationship. It seemed like a good start to them so far.

* * *

**A/N: Finally some Rizzles action! Thoughts?**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys! Of course I was blown away by the massive amount of reviews I received for the last chapter! Thank you so much. I ended writing a bit more than expected for this chapter, but I'm sure you all won't mind. Happy Reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 14**

Since Jane and Maura were by no means ready to part ways, Maura invited the brunette to stay for a late lunch. Neither one of them had eaten that much all day due to the stress of worrying about the future of their relationship. It was a nice day outside so they both agreed to have a picnic. Maura chose a spot for them among the large expansion of grass in the backyard of the Isles mansion. They lay side by side on a picnic blanket, looking up at the clouds in the sky. It was so peaceful outside and they were content in just being together. They engaged in a chat as they waited for Lars to bring their lunch to them. Maura had her legs crossed at the ankles, with her hands intertwined in her lap, while Jane had one hand resting under her head.

"How do you think your family will react to us dating?" Maura asked.

"I… I'm not sure. I guess they'd be okay with it. I know Frankie and Tommy would be because they were already suspecting it. My mom knows I've had a crush on you for a while. But my Dad, I don't know. I guess he'd be okay. What about your parents?"

"I barely speak to my father, but my mother would more than likely not approve. She's even tried to convince me to end my friendship with you."

Jane raised her eyebrows at the new information. "Wow, and you kept seeing me anyway?"

Maura nodded. "I did. My mother has no right to tell me whom I should and should not socialize with."

"Look at you," Jane said, impressed. "Bad-ass Maura Isles, not listening to mama bear. I guess I am a bad influence on you."

"Perhaps," Maura smiled, playing along. The blonde's grin faltered slightly as she thought of her mother's opinion of Jane. "It's just that, I had grown to like you very much, Jane. The thought of not being around you made me extremely defiant of my mother."

Jane turned to the blonde and smiled softly, knowing she would feel the same if her parents tried to keep her away from Maura. She felt butterflies of flattery flutter inside of her and she leaned over kissing the blonde on the cheek. Maura instantly smiled at the action and turned to Jane. Their faces were inches apart as they looked into each other's eyes. Jane thought Maura looked so beautiful in this moment. Her hazel eyes were sparkling and her hair was glowing under the soft rays of the sun.

Maura saw the way Jane was looking at her and it made her heart skip a beat. Oh, what those deep brown eyes did to her. She leaned in and closed the gap between them, placing a soft, innocent peck on the Jane's lips. Jane smiled softly before leaning in for a second kiss, only this time let it linger. She felt her body shiver with excitement as Maura kissed her back. Within seconds, they both felt that flame between them ignite and the kiss became more passionate. Keeping their lips locked, Jane leaned up on one elbow and was now over the blonde. Only the top half of her body ghosted over Maura's. Even though her hand was itching to grasp one of Maura's firm breasts, Jane didn't want to rush things. Maura too was fighting her own urges. She felt compelled to dig her hair into Jane's thick hair, but was also unsure. It was funny how they had suddenly become so shy about touching when they finally had the freedom to do so. Jane broke the kiss for a moment and gazed down at the girl below her.

Maura's face was slightly flushed as she stared back into Jane's eyes. She smiled softly. "It's becoming extremely difficult to stop myself from kissing you."

Jane smirked. "How do you think I feel? I've waited two years to do this."

Maura grinned before leaning up and capturing Jane's lips once more.

"Mmm," Jane hummed in satisfaction as she followed Maura back down on the blanket. Her lower regions clenched with arousal as the kiss became a bit more aggressive. Maura lost herself in the kiss and cupped Jane's face with both hands, not caring about respectable touches at the moment. Jane's tongue asked for entrance and the blonde purred with anticipation. Just as she was about to grant the brunette consent, the sound of someone clearing their throat and broke their spell.

Jane broke the kiss and was off of Maura in a flash. Both girls looked up and saw Lars standing above them holding a silver tray with two covered platters sitting on top.

"Lars," Maura said, her voice laced with embarrassment. "We didn't see you there." She glanced at Jane and the brunette nervously rubbed the back of her neck.

"I have your lunch," he said. Jane could tell he was trying to maintain an air of professionalism.

"Yes, thank you, Lars."

The man carefully knelt down and placed the tray on the blanket in front of them. Jane felt Lars' eyes on her but she refused to meet his gaze. He soon stood to his feet and looked down at the blonde. "Is there anything else needed, Maura?"

"No. That will be all. Thank you very much."

Lars gave a small nod and headed back towards the house.

Jane blew out a breath. "Seriously, Lars needs to lighten up if you want me visiting your house more often. He always looks at me like he's planning my demise."

Maura chuckled. "Jane."

"I'm not kidding. I don't think he likes me. Did you see him after he caught us just now?"

"He just takes a while to warm up to people. He practically raised me so I suppose seeing us in that... position... made the father part of him come out."

"It always comes out. I see it every time."

"Don't worry about Lars, Jane. He'll soon see how much you mean to me."

"How much do I mean to you?" Jane taunted.

Maura smiled. "That is at least a fifth date conversation."

Jane laughed as Maura removed the covers of the platters. Each one revealed a gourmet flatbread turkey and ham sandwich with a small bowl of fruit salad on the side.

"Well, it's no pastrami sandwich, but it looks pretty good," Jane commented.

Halfway through their meal, Maura looked up from her sandwich and eyed Jane. "You know, this feels like a date."

Jane smirked at the blonde. "Oh, you'll know when I take you on a date. This is just two people who like each other, hanging out and having a picnic."

Maura raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yep."

"And what exactly do you have planned for our date?"

"Guess you'll have to wait until Friday night," Jane smiled. Truthfully, Jane was in a panic on the inside. She had no fucking idea what to do for their date.

* * *

Monday morning soon arrived and it was Jane's first day back to school from her suspension. The brunette felt a few eyes on her as she entered the school grounds, but she could care less. She was walking on air now that Maura was her girlfriend. Wait, was she? The word girlfriend had not yet reached the vocabulary in their relationship. Nonetheless, she was happy.

They decided to keep their dating status under wraps for now, but they knew there was one person they had to tell. Jane approached Frost at their usual spot on campus and he grinned upon seeing her.

"Good to see you back, buddy," Frost said, patting Jane on the shoulder.

Jane was beaming. "Thanks. It's good to be back."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that about school."

"I know, right?"

"So, uh... how did it go with, Maura? And I want a real answer this time because your bullshit texts were… well, bullshit. I knew you weren't telling me everything."

Jane chuckled and shrugged. "That's because I wanted to tell you in person." Just then Jane saw a flash of blonde hair and she grinned when she saw Maura walking towards them.

Frost furrowed his brows, wondering why his friend was grinning like an idiot. He turned and saw Maura. If the two of them were that happy to see each other, that had to be a good sign.

"Hello, Barry," Maura smiled politely at the young man.

"Maura," he nodded.

Maura shifted her gaze towards Jane and an amused, yet mischievous twinkle was in her hazel eyes. "Jane," the blonde smiled as she came over to stand near the brunette.

"Hey," she greeted. Jane could not wipe the giddy smile off her face.

Both of them had to fight the urge to kiss each other hello. Shy and knowing glances between them would have to do.

Frost watched this exchange and raised a curious eyebrow. "Well, it looks like you guys worked things out."

Jane smiled at Maura, looking into the blonde's beautiful eyes. "Yeah, we did."

Frost nodded. "Awesome. So, this is what you wanted to tell me in person? That you guys made up? You could have text that."

Jane and Maura finally tore their eyes away from each other and turned to Frost.

"That's not all." Jane reached over and took Maura's hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. "We have a date Friday night."

Frost looked down at their hands and back up between the two smiling faces before him. His mouth gaped open as a look of shock fell over his features. He remained that way for awhile.

"Uh, Frost?" Jane asked, still waiting for a response from her best friend.

"Barry? Are you okay?" Maura questioned.

Suddenly, a proud, tight-lipped smile was on Frost's face and he launched at both girls, pulling them into a group hug.

"Ah! Frost!" Jane complained as she was squashed against two bodies.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" He grinned. Frost soon released his hold and took a step back. "It's about damn time!"

Jane and Maura recooperated from the embrace and grinned from ear to ear. They held onto each other's hands a little tighter.

"And Maura?" Frost began. "I'm sorry about Jane being a complete ass."

"Hey!" Jane exclaimed.

Maura giggled at Jane's outburst.

"What?" Frost shrugged. "You were. Anyway, I'm glad you guys are okay again… and together!"

"Thanks, Frost. I'm glad you're happy we're happy," Jane shook her head with a smirk on her lips. She had never seen Frost act so giddy. Well, other than when he's talking about Annie.

Just then, the bell rang for the first class of the day.

"I'll catch you guys later," Frost smiled. He gave them a military salute of his hand before walking away.

Jane and Maura both chuckled at him. "He's such a dork," Jane said, shaking her head.

"Well, as he said, he's just happy for us," Maura smiled.

Jane sheepishly smiled and lightly swung their held hands. "So, uh… I guess I'll see you at lunch."

Maura saw the melancholy look fall on Jane's face and the blonde thought she was adorable. "Yes." She too was finding it hard to let go of Jane's hand. "Is it silly that I don't want you to go?"

Jane grinned. "No. I don't wanna go either."

They both smiled softly at each other as they felt a warmth pass through them. They had never discussed PDA and they weren't sure how to leave each other. On impulse, Maura quickly leaned in and placed a kiss on Jane's cheek. "Bye," she smiled.

Jane felt a blush on her cheeks. "Bye," the brunette replied. They slowly let go of each other's hands and finally parted ways.

* * *

Jane and Maura had agreed that they would keep their relationship under wraps from their parents during the week until they were 100% ready. So, in order to not give each other away until the big night, they decided to not see each other outside of school until then. But they soon found out that was easier said than done.

It was Wednesday afternoon and Maura found herself going over to the Rizzoli home after her extracurricular club. Angela welcomed her inside and informed her that Jane was up in her room. As the blonde climbed the stairs, she wondered if Jane would be upset that she even showed up. This was breaking their agreement to not see each other.

The blonde stood in front of Jane's door with baited breath before knocking softly.

"Just a sec!" She heard Jane holler.

Maura furrowed her brows as she heard noises and scrambling on the other side of the door. What was Jane doing? She then heard Jane's bed creak and then quick footsteps shuffling towards the door. The door was clicked to unlock before it opened. "Maura," Jane gasped in surprise.

The blonde looked over Jane's features and noticed the brunette's cheeks were slightly flushed and her hair was a little out of sorts. Jane's breathing even seemed a bit irregular. She was wearing a black t-shirt and fitted gray sweatpants.

"Hi, Jane," the blonde spoke with uncertainty.

A small smile appeared on Jane's lips. She noticed Maura was still in her clothes from the school day. A dark blue sundress that stopped just above the knees. "Hi," Jane replied. "What are you doing here?"

Maura bit her bottom lip and sheepishly lowered her eyes. "I know that we made an agreement to not see each other outside of school until our date, but I just…" She raised her eyes. "I wanted to see you."

Jane smiled at the blonde as she felt pure adoration towards the girl in front of her. Jane grasped Maura by the wrist and pulled her into the room and closed the door. Maura shyly met Jane's gaze.

"I wanted to see you too," Jane confessed.

Maura smiled with relief and in one motion, they both stepped forward and embraced each other in a hug. Maura rested her head on Jane's shoulder and closed her eyes. Maura was becoming accustomed to this feeling of safety and warmth when she was in Jane's arms. She could not get enough of it. They leaned out of the embrace and looked at each other once more. Jane's hands rested on Maura's waist and the blonde's hands had a hold on Jane's upper arms. Both of them felt that pull between them and they leaned in pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. Jane felt her head spin at the feeling. This happened every time she kissed Maura. The blonde's heart fluttered at how tender Jane was. With just one kiss she felt all the meaning being conveyed to her. They smiled at each other.

"Um. Do you wanna watch T.V. with me?"

The blonde nodded. "Sure."

They situated themselves on the bed, side by side, and intertwined their fingers as they watched the program. They sat there in comfortable silence for no longer than two minutes when Jane's thumb stroked the back of Maura's finger. The blonde felt a tingle run up her arm and all through her body at the single touch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jane turning towards her. The blonde glanced at Jane, raising a brow in question.

"You know I wanna make out, right?" Jane stated.

"Jane!" Maura chastised with a smile. She was pleasantly surprised by the brunette's bluntness.

"What? Now, that I know we can, that's all I can think about."

The blonde smirked. "Oh, yeah?" Maura taunted.

"Yeah."

"What if I don't want to?"

Jane's lips curled with amusement. "Then you'd be lying." Jane shifted her body slightly so she was leaning on her hip, facing the blonde. "I can already see your hives forming."

Maura chuckled lightly. "Okay," the blonde relented. She leaned in closer to Jane. Maura's eyes flickered down to Jane's lips before moving back up to greet dark brown eyes. "But I'm only agreeing to make out in order to avoid hives."

Jane grinned. "Sure, you are." The brunette pressed Maura's smiling lips against her own. The blonde quickly recovered and immediately responded. As the kiss deepened, Maura reached up and cupped Jane's cheek. To Jane's surprise, Maura was the first to initiate tongue. Jane released a moan and pressed forward, making Maura lay on her back. The top half of their torsos touched, much like at their picnic, but more aggressive this time. Both of them shivered as they felt their breasts press together for the first time. Maura had never felt anything so overwhelming and exhilarating in her whole life. They continued to taste each other as their tongues glided together in an eager dance. Maura felt Jane's hand move to her hip as she dug her fingers in Jane's dark curls. The kiss became more aggressive as both of them could not get enough of each other's mouths. The blonde kept waiting for Jane to progress in further touching, but it never happened. Jane's hand had still not moved from the spot on her hip.

They ended the kiss in order to breathe and looked into each other's eyes, breathing heavily.

"Jane?"

"Yeah…"

"Why aren't you touching me?" Maura blatantly asked.

Jane raised her eyebrows, taken aback by the question. She looked down at her hand that was placed on Maura's hip. "I am."

"Yes, but… not in the way you did the first time I was in your bed."

Jane felt herself blush as she thought of how she felt up the blonde that morning after the sleepover. "But... that was different," the brunette sheepishly replied.

"Different how? I'm still the same person."

"I know… it's just different because… now I have respect for you."

Maura raised an eyebrow. "_Now_ you have respect for me? Not before?"

"Well, before I just wanted in your pants… or up your dress."

The blonde's mouth gaped open in shock. "Jane!"

Jane tried to hide her smile. "But it's different now. I got to know you and you're a girl who deserves respect. I don't want to mess this up somehow and do something you aren't ready for."

The blonde's heart fluttered at Jane's concern for her feelings. She smiled softly and caressed Jane's cheek. "Jane, you can't mess up. Not if you're just expressing how you feel about me." The brunette closed her eyes as she felt Maura's soft hands against her face.

"I want you to touch me," Maura breathed.

Jane felt herself throb between her legs at Maura's words. The girl she had been having sexual fantasies about and secretly pining over for the past two years was asking her to touch her. She looked down at Maura and noticed the blonde's chest was heaving and her face was flushed. Jane had never seen anything so sexy in her life.

"Okay…" She leaned in a kissed Maura soundly on the lips. "So… I can kiss you here?" Jane husked. She moved down a bit and turned her head slightly, placing a soft kiss on Maura's neck.

Maura gasped and closed her eyes as Jane gently sucked on her pulse point. "Oh, yes," she breathed.

Jane smiled against Maura's skin at the blonde's reaction. She leaned up and looked into Maura's face. The blonde's eyes slowly opened and looked at her. Arousal shined in those hazel eyes.

"And I can do this?" Jane's lips found purchase on Maura's earlobe. She sucked the soft skin and nipped at it gently before soothing it with her tongue.

Maura felt herself becoming wetter by the second as Jane's tongue worked its magic on her. She brought her hands up Jane's strong back and held the brunette closer to her. Jane was practically swooning at the whimpers that Maura made and it made her hornier beyond belief. She removed her lips from Maura's earlobe and vivaciously attacked the blonde's lips with her own.

"Mmm…" Maura moaned as Jane invaded her mouth with a needy tongue. Suddenly, Jane was climbing on top of her, pressing a strong thigh between her legs.

This is the Jane Maura had known from the start. The Jane that had looked at her lustfully when she had Maura cornered in the bathroom. The Jane that stared at her with want after unzipping her wet dress. The thoughts of all of those moments had all led up to this in a wave of teenage hormonal passion.

One of Maura's hands raked under Jane's pillow and she felt a piece of paper. She briefly wondered what it was but was distracted when Jane's mouth found the pulse point on her neck again.

"Oh, Maura…" Jane moaned as her hands ran up and down the sides of the blonde's body.

Maura felt the paper under the pillow once more. "Jane, wha-" Her lips were silenced by another hungry kiss from the brunette. She closed her eyes and was immediately drawn into the kiss and the feeling of her head in the clouds. God, Jane was a good kisser. As much as this make out session was turning her on, Maura could not shut off the curiosity in her brain. What was under this pillow? With effort she pulled her mouth away from Jane's. "Mm, wait… wait…" she panted.

"What's wrong?" Jane breathed against slightly bruised lips.

"Wha—what is this?" The blonde pulled out the piece of paper that was hidden under the pillow.

Jane's eyes went wide in alarm. "It's nothing!" She exclaimed, reaching for the piece of newspaper.

"Wait a moment," Maura said with amusement, holding the paper out of Jane's reach. As she examined it further and soon realized what it was. "Is this… the photo of me from when I won the science fair last year?"

Jane leaned back and bit her lower lip. "Maybe," she mumbled.

Maura narrowed her eyes at Jane. "What is it doing under your pillow?"

The brunette shrugged. "I don't know," Jane lamely replied.

"Uh-huh," Maura uttered, unconvinced.

"Okay, look…" Jane relented. "Only being able to see you at school is kind of driving me crazy."

"Crazy how?"

"Like… like I don't know," Jane said, suddenly becoming shy.

"I think you do know," Maura said, keeping an un-wavered gaze upon Jane.

Jane looked upon the beautiful girl before her, still not believing Maura was here. "Like… wanting to touch you," Jane whispered. Her hand ran up the side of Maura's milky calf before slowly traveling under the blonde's dress.

Maura gasped and her body trembled at the touch of Jane's tough, yet tender palm moving across her skin, stopping to caress the top of her thigh muscle. Jane looked into Maura's eyes and saw the hunger of arousal reflected back at her.

Jane leaned her face in closer to Maura's so their lips were centimeters apart. "And kiss you," Jane whispered before kissing Maura tenderly. She leaned back and looked at the blonde. "When I can't do those things… I miss you."

The blonde thought of everything Jane was telling her and she gasped as she put the pieces together. The picture, the stumbling around behind the door after she knocked, the 'locked' door… was Jane masturbating? To a photo of her?

"Jane? What were you doing before I came in your room?"

Penetrating, dark brown eyes stared into Maura's eyes. It was that lustful intensity that Maura had often encountered when she first initiated their friendship agreement. The look that made the blonde's heart pound wildly.

"I was _really _missing you," Jane seductively replied.

Maura could not control her want any longer. She grabbed a fist full of Jane's collar and pulled the brunette down into a hungry kiss. Jane immediately responded and pressed her full body into Maura's front. The blonde panted as Jane sucked on her neck once more. The brunette swiftly gripped under the bend of one of Maura's knees, spreading her legs further apart. Maura whimpered in surprise as Jane's thigh rubbed against her center. Jane groaned as they slowly began to rock their hips together. Both of them needed the other to quell the incessant throbbing between their legs with delicious friction. Maura's breath caught in her throat as she felt the pleasurable burn hit her in just the right spot.

Were they moving too fast? Perhaps, but Maura nor Jane could stop the chemistry that had been newly discovered between their bodies. Their lips met once more in a deep kiss.

Neither one of them heard the door opening.

"Jane, I've got your laundry and-" A loud gasp sounded in the room. "Oh, my God!"

Jane and Maura hurriedly pulled away from each other and looked towards the door. Angela stood there with a handful of clothes at her feet and a shocked expression on her face. Maura quickly lowered her dress and hung her head in embarrassment. Jane locked eyes with her mother as her heart rapidly pounded with fear. It was dead silent for a moment before Angela spoke.

"Were you two just doing what I think you were just doing?"

Jane swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips. She did not know what to say. They had been caught red handed. Soon Tommy and Frankie emerged by their mother, poking their heads inside the room. Jane internally rolled her eyes. She knew they had come running after hearing Angela's outburst.

"Talk, young lady."

"I… we were going to tell you…" Jane began. She sighed heavily, wishing her brothers were not there witnessing the most embarrassing moment of her life. "Maura and I are dating."

All three sets of eyes in the doorway widened in surprise.

"This is definitely not how I imagined this would go," Jane muttered. She glanced at Maura who was looking at her before sheepishly lowering her gaze.

"Alright, Janey!" Tommy declared, pumping a fist in the air. He was swiftly smacked in the back of the head by Angela. "Ow!" Tommy hollered as Jane tried to suppress her chuckle.

"Shut your mouth, Tommy! This is serious! Now, both of you go wash up for dinner," she directed, pushing the boys away from the door.

Before Frankie was out of sight he discreetly gave Jane a wink and the brunette shook her head. Oh, her little bros.

The three women were soon left alone once more. Angela looked between the both of them. "How could you hide this from your own mother?!" Angela demanded.

Jane was relieved to hear Angela's tone was not angry but in fact whiny. The tone her mother expressed when she felt out of the loop.

"Ma! We just weren't ready to tell you."

"Well, when were you going to be ready? And wait 'til your father hears about this. He's gonna hit the roof when he finds out you've been secretly dating!"

"Mom-"

"Don't Mom me. How long has this been going on?"

"Uh… since Saturday…" Jane replied.

"Humph…" Angela folded her arms in front of her and looked at Maura. The blonde felt like she shrank three times her size under the Italian woman's gaze. "Maura will you be staying for dinner tonight?"

Maura was taken aback by the simple question. "Um, I… I suppose… if you don't mind."

"Why would I mind?"

"Well… given the current circumstances-"

"Oh, I don't mind that you two kids are together. I wondered when you'd finally admit your feelings already. I'm just upset I wasn't told sooner."

"Sorry, Ma," Jane muttered.

"You should be." She picked up the clothes she had dropped on the floor and walked into the room. She placed the clothing on the foot of Jane's bed. "Dinner is ready in five. I hope you two can keep your hands to yourselves long enough to come down and join us."

"Ma!" Jane whined.

Maura lowered her eyes and blushed. Angela smirked lightly before exiting the room.

When her mother was gone, both girls released the breaths they were holding. Did that really just happen? Jane plopped back on her bed. "Forgot to lock the fucking door," she grumbled.

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry, the DATE will be in the next chapter. I just thought this chapter was needed for some Rizzles lovin'. And they're horny teens so... yeah.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey all! I want to thank everyone who voted for me in the RizzlesFanAwards. I was not quite a winner but was the runner-up for Best New Author. It was an honor just to be nominated, so thank you. All I really care about is that you all continue to enjoy my writing. That being said, happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully In Love**

**Chapter 15**

After Jane and Maura's unofficial coming out party to the Rizzoli clan, the two felt it would be safer for them if they stuck with their initial plan of not hanging out before their date. Things seemed to unexpectedly escalate in their last hot and heavy make out session and as of late, the two of them being alone near a couch or a bed would likely get them in trouble. Temptation was a bitch. One positive that came out of all this was how Jane's family took their new relationship. The Rizzolis loved Maura and did not have any objections to them being romantically involved. This was a relief to both of them but Maura knew she still had her own challenge to deal with... her mother. They had not spoken since Maura's outburst and Constance was currently out of town… again.

Friday had finally arrived and both girls had been thinking about their impending date all day. It was after school and Jane and Maura were on their way to the usual spot where Lars parked to pick up the blonde.

"I'm excited about our date tonight," Maura grinned.

Jane could only muster a small smile as she felt Maura squeeze her hand. The brunette was a nervous wreck about their date. So many doubts and worries about not being good enough were suddenly popping in her head. Maura noticed Jane's troubled expression. She pulled lightly on the brunette's arm and brought their walking to a halt.

"What's wrong, Jane?"

"Nothing, I just… I guess I'm just nervous about tonight."

"You don't have to be," Maura sincerely answered. "It's just us."

"I know but…" _That's why I'm nervous_… "Um, hey, do you like seafood?"

"I love seafood." Maura replied, surprised by the change of subject.

"Good," Jane nervously breathed with relief. "So you know Le… Bew Truc?" Jane tried to pronounce.

"Le Beau Truc?" Maura corrected with a hint of interest. "Of course, it's a brilliant 5-star French restaurant."

"Cool. That's where we're going," Jane smiled.

"But Jane, that's so…" She wanted to say expensive but she veered away from it. "You were able to book a reservation in such a short period of time?"

"Reservations?" Jane closed her eyes at her own stupidity and shook her head. Making a reservation had never occurred to her. But then again, since when has a Rizzoli ever reserved a time and place to eat? Um, never. Especially, not for some swanky, upper-class restaurant. "Fuck…" Jane exasperated. "I didn't even think of that."

Maura placed a reassuring hand on Jane's arm. "It's fine. We don't have to go there, Jane. Was that your first choice of our date location?"

"Well, no…" Jane pouted. "I just started thinking and… I wanted to take you some place I thought you'd feel comfortable. A classy restaurant with the best food and stuff you're used to." The brunette shrugged. "I don't wanna disappoint you."

Maura looked upon Jane sincerely and moved her hand down the brunette's arm to hold Jane's hand. "Come here." Maura pulled Jane on the side of the school grounds that were pretty much deserted during this time of the day.

Jane lazily leaned her back against the building and stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets. Maura stood in front of her, looking into her eyes. "Listen to me, Jane. I don't need anything special. I just want to be with you and that's never a disappointment no matter what we do."

Jane cracked a small smile at Maura's words. The blonde found Jane's expression adorable and she grinned. Maura stepped closer to Jane and cupped her face with both hands. "Plus, a place like that isn't you and I don't want you to change anything about you just for my benefit. I just want to spend time with you. I don't care where we go."

Jane lightly bit her bottom lip. "You sure?"

Maura smiled softly at Jane's uncertainty and stepped closer to the brunette, invading her personal space. Their eyes connected. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't want it," the blonde husked. Jane felt her head spin at the sensuality of Maura's voice. "I want a Jane Rizzoli date." Maura moved closer to Jane's face. "A _real_ Jane Rizzoli date."

Jane was practically hypnotized by Maura's eyes as she nodded mutely. "Okay," she breathed. "Deal."

"Good, it's settled," Maura smiled. She began to back away but Jane gripped her waist and pulled the blonde against her front.

"Where are you going?"

Maura chuckled lightly. "Lars. He's waiting for me."

Jane held Maura impossibly closer and leaned in so their lips were inches apart. Her eyes moved down to perfect pink lips before looking back to Maura's eyes. "Let him wait."

Maura opened her mouth to protest but she was silenced by Jane's lips against her own. She instantly closed her eyes and moaned as she responded to the kiss. The brunette felt her head become light as a feather as she lost herself in the feel of Maura's lips. Jane had not kissed her all day and the lack of that was killing her. Suddenly, Maura pushed her further against the wall and the blonde's hands were tangling in her hair. Judging by the blonde's sudden aggression she felt deprived as well. The kiss deepened as they became more familiar with the taste of each other's mouths. After another minute, they broke the kiss and smiled at each other lazily.

"I guess we should go meet Lars now," Jane whispered.

"Mm," Maura whined. She leaned her forehead on Jane's shoulder and they hugged each other close. "Can't we just stay here?" Maura mumbled.

Jane smiled. She loved the feel of Maura in her arms. "I'd like to, but you know we can't."

Maura raised her eyes. "Okay, fine," she relented.

Jane placed a kiss on Maura's head before they grasped each other's hands and headed towards the parking lot.

"If it was possible for us to go, were you looking forward to eating at Le Beau Truc?" Maura asked.

"Hell no! I was only doing it for you."

Maura laughed. "That's what I thought. So, what's in store for plan B?"

Jane grinned. "Just be ready at five o'clock and dress comfortable clothes. That means no dresses."

"Five o'clock? Isn't that a little early for dinner?"

They were now stopped beside Maura's ride.

"A little," Jane leaned in and kissed the blonde on the lips. "I'll see you at five."

"O… okay," the blonde replied, slightly confused as she watched Jane walk away.

* * *

Jane knocked on the Isles' front door. As she held a single red rose in her hand, she was practically vibrating with anticipation. She could not wait to take Maura out. The door finally opened and her smile faltered. Lars was at the door and on instinct Jane internally shrank back a little. This guy was so intimidating.

"Uh, hi. I'm here to pick up, Maura."

Lars looked at Jane for a moment with indifference. He said nothing and stepped aside, letting Jane cross the threshold. The brunette looked around and fiddled lightly with the stem of the rose as Lars closed the door. A beat of silence passed.

"What are your intentions with Maura?" Lars' deep voice asked.

What the hell? The question totally blindsided Jane. She quickly whipped around to face the older man; a look of surprise on her face. At first she wanted to be snarky and ask, 'what business is it of yours?' But she thought better of it. Lars was obviously Maura's protective father figure and Jane realized he was only looking out for her. In a way, he had a right to know.

"My… uh, my intentions are to make her happy..." That was the first thing that came to Jane's mind because lately, that really had become her priority. "…and treat her with respect. Maura is an amazing girl and she deserves nothin' less."

Lars continued to stare at her and Jane felt like an ant under a magnifying glass. Then suddenly, something miraculous happened. Lars smiled at her. Jane did not even think he was capable. "Good answer," he said. "Maura should be down at any moment."

Jane gave a quick nod, still too wound up and nervous to reply with words.

"Relax, Jane," Lars reassured. "I just wasn't sure about you in the beginning, but you seem good for Maura. You're already doing a fine job in making her happy."

Jane let out a breath. "Thank you."

Suddenly, Maura emerged at the top of the stairs. The blonde grinned widely as she spotted Jane standing in the foyer. Looking at Jane's dark jeans, purple v-neck t-shirt, and black windbreaker Maura assumed she choose the correct attire by wearing skinny blue jeans, turquoise blouse, and a light sweater. She saw the dreamy look on Jane's face and felt the butterflies in her stomach. She loved when Jane looked at her that way.

They kept their eyes locked the entire time as Maura reached the bottom of the stairs and walked up to the brunette. "Hi, Jane."

"Hi, Maura. You look beautiful."

"Thank you. So do you."

Jane held out the rose for Maura. "This is for you."

Maura took the rose with a smile and placed it to the tip of her nose, smelling it. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"I'll but that in a vase for you, Maura," Lars said.

"Thank you, Lars," Maura politely smiled, handing off the rose.

The butler headed out of the foyer, leaving the two of them alone. Maura leaned up and softly pecked Jane on the lips. "Hi."

When the blonde stepped back she noticed a light blush color Jane's cheeks. She immediately thought it was adorable and smiled knowingly. Jane almost seemed shy. "Hi," Jane smiled. She then held out the crook of her elbow to Maura, standing with impeccable posture. "Shall we?"

Maura chuckled lightly before taking Jane's arm. "We shall."

When they reached the car, Jane opened the passenger side door for Maura. The blonde looked at the door and then eyed Jane with amusement. This was a first.

"What?" Jane shrugged with a smile. "This is a date, right?"

"It is a date," the blonde confirmed with a grin before settling herself in the car. She still had no idea what Jane had in store for them.

* * *

They arrived at a large building and Maura read a sign that said, 'Batter Up.' Batter? That's strange. Was this some sort of bakery? Maura took off her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.

"Hold it. I've got it," Jane said, quickly hopping out of the car and maneuvering to the passenger side door. Maura smiled as Jane opened the door for her. Sure, it was a simple and traditional gesture but really sweet. Maura liked it.

"Thank you."

"No prob."

"Where are we, Jane?"

The brunette grinned as she closed the car door. "Our first stop on the Jane Rizzoli date." She took Maura's hand and they headed towards the building.

Maura should have known it was not a bakery they were heading into. Especially, since no glass windows were present to display baked goods. As they reached the door, Maura heard a loud CLINK noise. Like the sound of hollow metal hitting against something solid. Her curiosity was definitely heightened.

When they entered it was a huge warehouse filled with sections of high nets and machines that seemed to be shooting out spherical objects at a high rate of speed. She saw a few people standing in the netted area holding… baseball bats?

"What is this place?" Maura asked, taking in her surroundings.

"It's a batting-cage, Maura. People come here to whack the hell out of baseballs. It's fun."

Maura observed as a man stood by a plate and took his batting stance. The ball was released and he came around with the bat, striking the ball with a solid hit. The blonde's eyebrows shot up with interest. This took timing, concentration, and strength. It was something Maura had never done before but it seemed exhilarating in a way.

"Want to give it a try?" Jane smiled as she watched Maura.

The blonde nodded with a smile, turning to Jane.

"Alright. Let's go."

They were soon set up in their own netted area with a bucket of balls, two bats and two helmets. Maura wanted Jane to go first so she could see how it was done and the brunette happily complied. Maura watched closely from the other side of the net as Jane took swing after swing. The blonde bit her lip as she watched the concentration on Jane's face and the muscles flex in the brunette's arms. One word… sexy.

It was finally Maura's turn and she excitedly entered the area with Jane. The brunette helped her with the helmet. "Ready?" Jane smiled.

"I'm ready, coach," Maura grinned.

Jane chuckled. "Cute. Alright, let's see what you got." The brunette stepped aside.

Maura took her place at the plate and prepared for the ball to come down the strike zone. Only to Jane she looked ridiculous. The blonde was holding the bat at a straight, vertical angle and her elbows were pointing down. Hell, her knees weren't even bent.

"Hold on." Jane walked up to Maura. "You have to take your stance."

"I am."

"No, you're not."

"Jane, this is an optimum batting stance."

"And what book did you read that out of? Weren't you watching me?"

A blush found it's way to Maura's cheeks. Oh, she was watching but not for knowledgable purposes. The blonde cleared her throat. "Yes, I watched, but I'd rather stick with the classic rigid body collision theory."

Jane shook her head, confused. "Okay, no. You're not messing with a national pastime by bringing science into it. Let me show you how to do this."

"Jane," the blonde whined.

"Just…" Jane stood behind the blonde and reached around, gripping Maura's wrists so they both held the bat. Maura's perfume instantly invaded Jane's senses and she momentarily closed her eyes. Vanilla and... peaches, Jane decided.

"Now I know why you brought me here," Maura breathed.

"Why's that?" Jane asked, eyes still closed.

"So, you can find a reason to hold me."

Jane smiled and opened her eyes. "Oh, I need a reason?"

Maura smirked lightly as Jane pressed against her back more firmly. "Not necessarily."

Jane grinned. "Okay. Hold the bat up. Now, you have to lean a little bit of weight on your back leg. That's it. Now, put your elbow up… good. See, you're a natural."

They did a few practice swings and Maura could really feel the power of Jane's arms, the power of her swing, her strength, Jane's hot breath brushing against her cheek when she spoke. Honestly, all of it was turning her on.

"Ready?" Jane asked.

Maura had to shake her head slightly because she was too busy imagining how Jane's muscle structure looked under her clothes. "Oh, um… I believe so."

"Okay, here we go. We're ready!" Jane called to the guy setting up their baseballs.

They did a few hits together and eventually Maura insisted she could do it on her own. Jane watched with pride as Maura got a few good hits and chuckled when the blonde let out a random expletives when she would miss. Of course, Maura's explicit words went no further than, "Shoot!" or "Darn it!" After a few more rounds, Jane was saying they had to stop.

"Oh, Jane. Can't we do one more round?" Maura begged like a little kid.

Jane smiled as she began to gather the scattered balls in their area. "You're cute when you pout, but I don't think it'd be a good idea. This _is_ your first time at the batting cage and you don't want to overdo it. Your muscles are already going to ache a little in the morning. Let's not make it worse."

Maura thought about that for a moment and realized what Jane said made logical sense. "Okay, fine."

Jane smiled at the blonde and walked over to Maura, taking the bat out of her hands. "Cute." She leaned in and placed a kiss on Maura's pouting lips. "Hungry?" Jane asked as they put away the equipment.

"Starving, I had no idea swinging a bat can work up an appetite," the blonde said as she mocked swinging a bat in the air.

Jane chuckled at Maura's enthusiasm. The blonde was clearly still pumped after crushing a few balls. "Good."

When they stepped outside hand in hand, the sun was nearly down. They hopped in the car all smiles and Jane drove them to their next destination.

* * *

Jane parked on the street near a small grassy park with a pond. All around were several food trucks that were serving multiple food choices that Maura had never heard of nor tried.

"Ever have a cheesesteak sandwich?" Jane asked before cutting the engine.

"I can't say that I have."

"Well, get ready to have your taste buds blown."

After getting their meal at one of the food trucks, they found a table nearby and sat down with their food. Maura eyed the meaty sandwich, hesitant to take a bite. Jane watched her with a smirk.

Of course, Maura ended up loving the food and ate up every single bite. Jane liked Maura's hearty appetite. Most girls ate like birds. At least Maura was willing to try different foods.

"I told you it was good," Jane chuckled.

They then split a Frozen Hoagie for desert. Maura observed the ice cream sandwich that was held together with two chocolate chip cookies. It looked delicious so Maura was not hesitant to take a bite. She now trusted Jane enough in her taste for food.

"Mmm, this is amazing," Maura gushed.

With a mouth full of hoagie, the blonde glanced at Jane and caught an amused expression on her face. Maura swallowed her food. "What is it?"

"I'm just remembering the first time you had peanut butter and fluff."

Maura smiled at the memory. "This doesn't quite top that, but its close." Maura turned to Jane and tapped the tip of the brunette's nose with her finger. "That was the day I fixed your nose too."

The brunette smiled fondly. "Yeah, it was. Did I ever thank you for that?"

Maura pondered the question, squinting her eyes. "I don't think you did."

Jane turned so she was straddling the bench and facing Maura's profile. She leaned forward and placed two soft kisses on Maura's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

Maura felt shivers run through her. "You're welcome," she blushed.

"You know you made me like you ten times more that day."

"Really?" Maura asked with an incredulous face. "You had a funny way of showing it."

Jane chuckled lightly. "Hey, I couldn't let on that I liked you so I-"

"Acted like a pompous ass?" Maura finished.

Jane smirked at Maura's words. "True… but you helped me even though you hated my guts... and I really liked that."

Maura shyly glanced at Jane with a soft smile. "Well, you were injured. I do have a heart."

Jane looked at the beautiful girl in front of her and her lips curled into a soft smile. "Yeah, you do," she whispered.

Maura turned to Jane and her heart melted at the softness and sincerity she found in the dark brown eyes staring back at her. The blonde could not believe how much Jane cared for her. Many people were used to the tough, tomboy Jane that cursed and beat up boys. This Jane, her Jane, allowed a vulnerable and sensitive side to show. Maura knew this was exclusively for her and it made her feel special.

"Jane…" Maura softly cooed. The blonde's eyes fluttered closed as they both leaned in a shared a gentle kiss. It was meant to be short but their lips had other plans and the kiss grew deeper. Jane's heartbeat picked up as Maura's tongue gently ran against her bottom lip. The brunette placed her hand on Maura's thigh and softly rubbed up and down. The blonde whimpered at the contact. They kissed for another minute until Jane leaned back.

"We should uh, get going. I don't want to continuing giving people a show," she breathed heavily.

"Oh…" the blonde uttered, suddenly remembering they were in a public place. "I suppose you're right."

Jane smiled softly and kissed Maura's flushed cheek. "Come on." The blonde took Jane's hand and they headed towards the park. They spent another hour just strolling around the park's pond, talking about nothing, holding hands, and stealing a few kisses. It was a wonderful and memorable evening for both of them.

* * *

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Maura asked as she and Jane walked up the driveway of the Isles' estate.

"Uh, me and a few of the guys are gonna play some street hockey in the morning."

"Street hockey?"

"Yeah. Instead of ice and skates we use the street and rollerblades. You can come watch if you want."

They were now by the large front doors. "Oh, well…" Maura purred, stepping in front of Jane. She wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. "How can I pass up an opportunity to see you all hot and sweaty?"

Jane raised an eyebrow at Maura's suggestive use of words. "Maura," Jane smiled with aroused amusement. "Are you flirting with me?"

Maura's hazel eyes danced as she smiled. "I most certainly am. What are you going to do about it?"

Jane leaned in closer, looking at Maura's lips. She brought her hands around the blonde's waist. "What do you want me to do about it?" She taunted back.

Maura's breath caught as her eyes flickered down to Jane's mouth. "Kiss me," she breathed against Jane's lips.

Their lips connected for a nanosecond before the front door suddenly swung open. Both girls turned to see who caused the interruption. Maura's eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped open.

"Mother," Maura said in surprise.

Constance stood before them, looking impeccably put together as usual in a black silk long-sleeved blouse and grey dress pants. Jane could see where Maura gained her sense of style. The woman was strikingly beautiful but the negative vibes were coming off of her in waves and Jane could definitely feel them.

"What are you doing here?" Maura finally asked.

"I flew home early." The older woman's unfriendly gaze flickered towards Jane and then back to Maura. "Not early enough it seems. What's the meaning of this?"

"Mother, I believe you have not met Jane. Jane, this is my mother."

Jane extended her arm out to Constance. "Nice to meet you." The woman defiantly eyed the offered handshake and ignored Jane's greeting. "Okay." Jane shrank back. This woman was cold as ice.

Maura immediately felt shameful of her mother's behavior and her heart ached at the sight of Constance's outward rejection of Jane. "Mother..."

"Maura, I want you in the house this instant," the older woman calmly demanded.

"But I-"

"Do not even try to speak to me in that manner you did the other evening. I let you get away with it the first time; I will not tolerate it a second time; especially, not in front of a stranger."

"Jane is not a stranger."

"In the house." Constance's voice rang with finality.

Maura turned to Jane with a sorrowful expression. The brunette gave a small nod of understanding. Maura could tell by the look in Jane's eyes that the brunette was conveying a feeling that everything will be okay. The blonde held on to that as she walked past her mother and into the house.

The older woman stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "And you," Constance menacingly spoke as she narrowed her eyes at Jane. "If I catch you anywhere near my property again, I'll have you arrested for trespassing. You understand? Stay away from my daughter and scurry back under the rock where you came from."

Jane was too shocked to speak as the front door slammed in her face.

"What did you just say to her?" Maura demanded as her mother turned to her.

"What had to be said. I will not tolerate you hanging around that girl any longer."

"Why? Because she's not like us?"

"Precisely."

Maura shook her head in disbelief. "You have no right to keep us apart!" Maura raised her voice as small tears pricked her eyes.

"You are _my _daughter Maura. I'm only doing what's best for you."

"By denying me happiness? I love her, mother."

Constance shook her head dismissively, pretending she did not just hear her daughter's declaration. "Maura this is just some phase you're going through. You're not thinking clearly, darling. Now, I'll make an appointment with the psychiatrist tomorrow and-"

"I don't need a psychiatrist, mother! I know what I'm feeling!"

"You're confused! And I don't want to hear another word of it." Constance began to head down the hallway, away from her daughter. "You'll see the psychiatrist in tomorrow morning."

Maura felt the walls closing in on her from every side. Now, she could run up the stairs to her room and cry her eyes out or… Something suddenly clicked inside of her. In that moment, Maura refused to be ruled by her mother's further constraints on her life. "I won't be here tomorrow morning," the blonde muttered. Maura hustled towards the front door and pulled it open, running outside.

Jane was walking down the driveway with her head down and shoulders slumped. What a way for her first date to end. She had been looking forward to her goodnight kiss and it was spoiled by that crazy bitch. That was the grand finale of the date after all. Who did that lady think she was? She opened her car door.

"Jane! Jane, wait!"

The brunette spun around at the sound of her name being called. "Maura?"

The blonde rushed up to her and suddenly Jane was being pulled down into a heated kiss. The blonde pulled away and looked into Jane's eyes. "Take me with you..." Maura whispered against her lips.

"Where?" Jane spoke shakily, still trying to understand what was happening.

"Anywhere. I just don't want to stay here."

"Maura! Maura Dorothea Isles! Come back here this instant!" Constance demanded as she charged down the driveway towards them.

"Okay," Jane nodded. Both girls quickly hopped into the vehicle and Jane sped away from the property.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts as usual my lovelies.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey guys. I apologize for the delay. I've been so busy and truthfully, I wasn't sure what I was going to do after that last chapter. I surprised myself with that cliffhanger! So, that took some time, but I figured it out. Hope you enjoy. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 16**

Jane had no idea where they were headed. It was just them, the night, and the streets of Boston. For a while they just drove in silence, both still in shock over what had just happened. Maura could not believe she had acted on impulse like that. She never acted on impulse. Acting on impulse meant the outcome would be unknown and Maura hated the unknown. She had disobeyed her mother and ran away from home. What would she do now? As all of these thoughts compiled in her brain, Maura's breathing suddenly increased, her chest felt heavy, and her heartbeat sped up.

Jane glanced at the blonde and noticed her strange behavior. Fuck. She had seen this once before. Another panic attack. Jane pulled to the side of the road and turned to Maura. She grasped Maura's hand with her left while the other rubbed comforting circles on the blonde's back. "Breathe. Just breathe, Maura," Jane soothingly chanted. "Everything is gonna be alright."

After a good ten minutes, Jane saw that the blonde was calming down and her breathing was back to normal. Thank God! "You okay?"

Maura blew out a breath and nodded. "Yes. I'm okay now."

Jane looked straight ahead out the windshield and then back at Maura. Her thumb rubbed gently over the back of Maura's hand. "Maura... I don't where to go," Jane confessed.

The blonde thought for a moment. "I have an idea."

They soon arrived at a marina Jane had never been to. The brunette parked in the nearby lot and looked at the sign. _Boston's Yacht Paradise._ Oh. No wonder she had never set foot here. This was rich folk's territory.

They climbed out of the car and headed towards the pier. It was semi-creepy outside since it was dark and only small spurts of light were provided, running down the length of the dock. The endless line of humongous yachts gently bobbing in the water could be heard.

Maura grasped Jane's hand as they began to walk down the pier.

"You have a yacht?" Jane asked.

"Well, my family has a yacht. It was one of the pieces of property my mother won in the divorce. Lars takes us out on it during the summer."

"That's cool," Jane nodded.

They soon stopped in front of a yacht that had to be one of the largest in the marina.

"Holy, shit. This is your boat?"

Maura lightly smirked. "Language, Jane. Yes, this is our yacht," the blonde replied as they climbed aboard. As soon as they were on board, Jane's eyes began to curiously wander around.

"Do you want a tour?" Maura asked, seeing Jane's curiosity.

"Hell, yeah I want a tour."

Two words for the Isles' family yacht… RIDICULOUSLY SWEET. It was pretty much a luxury house on water. There was a full kitchen and dining area, a lounge area with a flat screen, two bedrooms and full baths. One room had twin beds, another with a queen and… oh, make that three bedrooms since the room they were currently walking into had a king-sized bed.

Maura made a beeline for the bed and laid down. Despite Maura trying to lighten the mood with a tour of the beautiful yacht, it was only a minor distraction.

"I'm exhausted," the blonde huffed.

Jane joined her, sitting on the edge of the bed. The brunette was not sure what to do or how to judge Maura's mood. Here they were, hiding out in a yacht in the middle of the night with no idea what they were going to do next. This had suddenly become awkward. The blonde looked at Jane. The brunette was fidgeting with her hands. Maura could sense Jane's hesitation, but she was happy the brunette was with her. She was happy she was not alone. Loneliness... something she had grown so accustomed to over the years.

Maura bit her bottom lip, feeling shy. "Jane?"

The brunette glanced at her. "Yeah?"

"Will you hold me, please?"

Maura's voice sounded so small and vulnerable, Jane felt her heart ache. "Yeah," Jane sincerely replied. The brunette lifted her legs up on the bed and scooted closer to Maura, opening her arms. The blonde curled into Jane's side, laying her head on the brunette's shoulder and resting her hand on Jane's stomach. Jane wrapped her arm under Maura's shoulders and laced her fingers with Maura's hand. Their legs intertwined.

It was quiet. Peaceful. Just them and no interruptions. A comfortable silence hung between them for several minutes.

"I'm sorry, Jane," Maura whispered, breaking the silence.

Jane frowned and looked down at the blonde head of hair. "What are you sorry for?" she gently asked.

"All of this. The way my mother treated you… the fleeing in the middle of the night… this is my fault," Maura's voice began to break.

"No, it's not your fault, Maur," Jane soothed, holding the blonde tighter. "You don't have to be sorry. You're not alone in this. I'm here with you and I want to be here. Your mother is a hothead for sure, but you can't blame yourself for the way she acted."

Warm tears fell from Maura's eyes as she closed them. "She refuses to understand, Jane. She even wanted me to see a psychiatrist because of my feelings for you. Like I'm going through a phase of some sort… but I know I'm not." Maura snuggled herself closer to Jane.

Jane sat silently, waiting for Maura to continue. She hated that the blonde was hurting so much.

"We had an argument a few weeks ago. It was about you. She did not want me to continue a friendship with you, but I refused to obey her wishes. I sort of… told her off saying that I wouldn't change the time I've spent with you for anything. We had not spoken since then."

"You really said that?" Jane felt her heart expand with pride.

"Of course, I did. I lo- _like_ you, for you." Maura blushed, hoping Jane did not catch her slip up.

Jane quirked an eyebrow at Maura's words but let it go for now.

"My mother believes I should not socialize with you because of your class, but I don't care about that." Maura shot her head up and looked into Jane's eyes. "You do know that, right?" The blonde seemed to ask the question with worry, fearing that some part of Jane still held that grudge of her being wealthy against her.

Jane could see the desperate pleading in those hazel eyes and smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I know, Maur." Jane gently rubbed her thumb across Maura's cheek. "Your heart is way too big to think that way."

The brunette leaned in and gently kissed Maura on the lips. Maura closed her eyes, relieved. The last thing she wanted was for Jane to think the social and economic differences between them was a factor in their relationship. Jane had come to mean so much to her it scared her. Her eyes remained closed as Jane cupped her face and soothingly stroked her cheeks. She savored the touch.

When the blonde opened her eyes, Jane saw a change. Maura's eyes seemed darker and a look of intent was there. Jane could not decipher the slight shift in behavior but it was definitely there.

"Jane, do you remember the night of our sleepover when you said you wanted to kiss me?"

How could she forget it? Maura was a major tease that night and Jane had wanted her so badly. "Yeah, I remember."

"And do you remember my response to you?" Maura asked, her eyes never leaving Jane's.

"You…" Jane swallowed. "...leaned in really close… and you told me to fight it."

Their eyes remained locked for a moment before Maura raised her body and threw a leg over Jane's thighs, straddling the brunette.

Jane's hands lightly rested on Maura's hips, thrilled by the turn of events. "Um, okay…"

Maura cupped Jane's face and leaned in close. "I don't want you to fight it anymore," she whispered.

Jane chuckled lightly, confused. "I never fight it, Maura. I kiss you whenever I want now."

"I'm not just talking about kissing. I mean, don't fight… any of it."

Jane's face suddenly grew serious as she realized what Maura was saying. "Wha… what?" she asked, her jaw nearly dropping.

"I want you, Jane… and I want you to have all of me."

Jane could not believe what she was hearing. The girl of her dreams was right here, right now, offering herself to her. Jane felt as though she couldn't breathe and her hands began to tremble slightly. Her heart was pounding against her chest. "All of you?" The brunette stuttered.

Maura reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted her top up and over her head. She tossed the clothing to the floor and stared into dark brown eyes. "All of me…."

Jane's eyes took in Maura's lacy purple bra and pushed up cleavage. She felt light headed. "Oh, my God…" she breathed. She met Maura's eyes but instead of seeing lust and passion, they almost looked a little sad. A small shining of uncertainty even came through. Jane noticed this and was about to question it. "Maura…" Jane breathed.

"Just… please…" Maura whispered against Jane's lips before claiming the brunette's mouth with her own in a searing kiss.

Jane moaned at the contact and soon fell under Maura's spell. Her hands ran up the blonde's back and up into her long hair. Maura's body leaned into her own, causing Jane to lay onto her back with the blonde fully on top of her. The kiss ceased to end and only became more aggressive. Tongues thrashed together and hands roamed eagerly. Jane literally thought her pounding heart would beat out of her chest as Maura moved her anxious kisses to her neck. Jane let out a growl when she felt Maura nip and suck at her pulse point. With their bodies melded together and hormones raging, the heat between them quickly increased. Maura's hand slowly snaked under the hem of Jane's shirt and began to stroke her toned abdomen. Jane gasped at the touch and on impulse she raised her hips into Maura's. This time Maura gasped and before they knew it, their hips began to rock against each other. Jane felt the wetness gathering between her legs and could also feel Maura's heat against her thigh through her jeans. The brunette ran her hands up the sides of Maura's body, enjoying the feel of this newly exposed skin.

Lips and tongues met again in a fervor of aggression and passion as they continued to grind against each other. Jane felt so close to going over the edge as the pleasurable friction between them continued to build.

"Jesus Christ, Maur…" Jane hissed.

Maura whimpered in response. She could feel her pleasure building as well. Jane's strong body felt so unbelievably good against her own. This was a major difference between her own hands in the middle of the night and Jane's touches and kisses. MAJOR difference. She suddenly needed to feel more; to push back her feelings of rejection by her mother; to forget. Maura sat up on her knees and reached for the button of Jane's jeans.

Jane's chest was heaving as her eyes stared into the dark hazel eyes above her. If Maura had not stopped rocking her hips, there was no way Jane would have found the willpower to do so first herself.

As she saw the raw determination in Maura's face, a feeling of doubt suddenly filled her. This was not her Maura. The girl before her was hurting and her emotions were running wild. This was something Jane had never seen in Maura. This all seemed so rushed... so out of control. As the blonde began to lower the zipper of her pants, Jane placed a hand over Maura's, stopping her.

"Maur," Jane breathed. It had taken all the strength within her to stop the blonde's actions. "I don't… think we should do this," Jane breathed.

Maura's face fell as she sat back. "You don't want me?" The blonde whispered, hurt in her voice.

"No, I do," Jane said hurriedly replied. "I really, really want you, but not like this."

Maura lowered her eyes and bit her bottom lip slightly.

"I... I just know you're hurting from what your mother said to you and I don't want us doing this for the wrong reason… you know?"

"You think I'm using you to distract my thoughts and feelings," Maura calmly stated.

Jane lowered her eyes. "Maura, I don't want to make you upset, but I care about how you feel. I just don't want you to regret this."

"I am," Maura whispered. Jane looked into the blonde's eyes. "I am using you…" The blonde hung her head in shame. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" Maura breathed. She was shocked by her own behavior. Tears immediately sprang to the blonde's eyes as she choked out a sob. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Jane."

The brunette sat up and cradled Maura against her chest, holding her close. "It's okay, baby. You don't have to be sorry."

Jane understood why Maura did what she did and she wasn't mad. She loved this girl and she knew Maura was in pain. She knew Maura needed comforting. The blonde moved off of Jane's lap and cuddled into the brunette's side. Jane held her silently and let Maura cry until she fell asleep. The brunette removed Maura's shoes and then her own and held the blonde close to her. Sleep soon found her as well.

* * *

Maura's eyes slowly opened to sunlight pouring into the bedroom. She took a moment to realize where she was and how she got there. Jane had driven her home. Constance. Fleeing from the Isles Estate. The Yacht. Almost making love with Jane... Jane?

The blonde felt a warm presence against her back and strong arms snugly wrapped around her waist. Maura smiled to herself as she savored the care and protection she felt. She pushed her body further back into Jane, causing the brunette to stir.

"Mmm," Jane mumbled.

Maura heard the brunette yawn which was followed by a raspy… "You awake?"

The blonde thought that was the sexiest morning voice she had ever heard. "Yes, I am."

Jane held Maura's body closer to her own and buried her face in the blonde's hair. The blonde's scent never ceased to intoxicate her. "How do you always smell so good?" Jane murmured.

"Just my usual shampoo and conditioner… a little Chanel number-"

"Maur… as much as I like your google talk, it's too early for that, babe."

Maura smiled softly at the endearment before shifting her body to face Jane. "I like that."

"What?" Jane asked, placing a hand on Maura's hip.

"You calling me, babe."

Jane grinned. "Well, get used to it. I should be able to call my girlfriend pet names."

Maura's smile faulted slightly, surprised by Jane's words. Well, one word. Jane saw Maura's expression and she panicked.

"I… what I meant was-"

Her words were cut off by Maura's lips pressing against her own. Jane returned the kiss with full fervor and it quickly turned heated. Maura cupped Jane's face and the brunette moved on top of the blonde's body, never breaking their kiss. Jane's tongue dipped into Maura's mouth and the blonde moaned, eagerly accepting her. Her hands found their way under Jane's shirt and her nails dug slightly into the brunette's back. Jane's left hand ran up the side of Maura's body before gently cupping Maura's breast for the first time. Maura gasped at the welcoming contact and Jane groaned as she gave the suppleness a firm squeeze. The blonde closed her eyes as Jane leaned up and attached her lips to her neck.

"Oh, Jane…"

"Oh, Maur…" Jane murmured back.

Thighs slipped between legs and came into contact with their centers.

"I think I like waking up next to you," Maura sighed.

"I think I like it too," Jane smirked lazily.

They shared another kiss but it was interrupted by the sound of footsteps above them.

Maura pulled out of the lip lock. "Jane, did you hear that?"

Jane leaned up on her arms and frowned. "Yeah, I did."

More footsteps... and they sounded closer this time.

Jane hopped off the bed and began to search the room. Maura retrieved her top from the floor and quickly put it on. She then looked at Jane strangely. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Looking for a weapon."

"Oh! There are some golf clubs my father had that we can use."

"Cool, where are they?"

"On the floor above us," Maura winced.

Jane grit her teeth and fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Great, Maura. I'll just tip-toe by the burglar and say, 'Sorry, just getting a golf club from up here so I can knock you out.'"

"This is no time to be a smart ass, Jane."

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and Jane instinctively stood in front of Maura to protect her. It was Lars. Both girls sighed in relief.

"Lars, thank goodness. We thought it was an intruder," Maura said.

The man looked between the two of them questioningly. "Did you both stay here all night?"

They both nodded.

"I've been looking all over for you." He turned to Maura. "Your mother wanted to call the police, but I convinced her to allow me to search for you first. I figured you might be here."

"Good guess," Jane commented.

"This was by no means the first place I looked. I know Maura is fond of this yacht. It was a long shot, but here you are." He looked upon Maura sincerely. "Your mother is sorry, Maura and she would like for you to come home."

"No." Maura shook her head. "I refuse to be in that woman's house. She's trying to dictate my life, Lars. _Every_ aspect of my life, including feelings. I won't go back with you."

"Then where will you go?" Lars questioned.

The blonde seemed uncertain for a moment and then turned to Jane. "Can I stay with you?"

"Um." Jane glanced at Lars and then back to Maura. "I… I'm guess you can, Maur, but-"

"Maura, I understand you're upset." Lars interrupted. "But you must be reasonable in this situation."

"My mother is the unreasonable one, Lars. You can inform her that I will be at Jane's house and if she is truly sorry she will come and apologize to me face to face."

"Maur? Are you sure? about this?" Jane asked.

She looked at the brunette, determined. "I've never been surer in my life." Maura's eyes connected with Lars'. "If she wants me home so badly, then she can come and collect me herself."

Lars gave a subtle nod. "Very well, Maura. I can't force you to come home with me. I will notify your mother of your whereabouts and your request of her."

Maura stepped over to the man she looked up to. "Thank you, Lars. I appreciate what you're doing for me."

Lars stepped forward and he and Maura shared a brief hug. "I've never seen you this happy, Maura." He pointed a thumb at Jane. "You found a good one here."

The blonde smiled. "I know."

"You two better get going and Jane? Your mother was frantic after I left your house last night."

"What?" Jane panicked. "You've been to my place?"

"Of course. That was one of the first places I looked. I told your family who I was and that I was looking for you."

"Oh, shit." Jane smacked herself in the forehead. "My mom is gonna be so pissed," Jane muttered.

* * *

Jane and Maura pulled up in front of the Rizzoli house and saw a bunch of boys playing street hockey a few houses down. They got out of the car and headed towards the house.

"Janey! You're home!" Tommy called.

In roller blades, Frankie and Tommy skated over to them. "You're missing the pickup game. Where the hell were you?" Frankie asked.

"Mom and Dad were really worried," Tommy added.

"And I see you guys were really worried too, huh? Playin' a game of street hockey while your older sister is missing." Jane chided.

"Ah, we knew you'd be home," Frankie waved her off.

"Yeah, we just figured..." Tommy looked between the two girls with a knowing grin. "You two got busy."

Maura lowered her gaze and blushed while Jane shoved Tommy in the shoulder. "It's not like that!"

"Hey!" Tommy shot back. "No offense Maura, but what is she doin' here anyway? I thought you're supposed to drop your date back at home afterwards."

"It's a long story," Jane sighed.

"Okay, well, you better get inside." Frankie warned. "Mom was plannin' on callin' the cops pretty soon."

"Great," the brunette sighed. "Come on, Maur," she said, gently pulling the blonde towards the house.

"Good luck!" Tommy called before he and Frankie returned to their game.

As soon as Jane and Maura closed the front door behind them, Angela rushed into the room. "Jane Clementine Rizzoli! Where the hell have you been?!"

"Ma, I-"

"Your father and I have been going crazy out of our minds worried about you!" She glanced at the blonde. "Both of you! Your father is _still_ out there searching."

"I know, if you'll just-"

"And last night this tall and dark man named Larry showed up to the house asking about you two."

"That was Lars, my butler," Maura said.

"Yeah, well. He had us all worried sick! And I couldn't reach you on your cell phones!"

Both of them dug for their phones and realized they were off. Neither one of them had wanted to be interrupted during their first date. "Opps. Sorry, mom."

"That's all you have to say?"

The brunette rubbed the back of her neck. "Can I, please… explain?" Jane carefully asked.

"Spill it."

Jane went on to explain what had happened at Maura's house and the confrontation with Constance. How they ran away and stayed the night at the yacht. How Lars found them.

"You still should have called," Angela huffed.

"I know, Ma. We're sorry. There was just so much going on."

Angela placed a hand against her forehead and shook her head. Jane and Maura looked upon her, not sure what to do or say. Then the older woman stepped forward and engulfed them both in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're both okay," she whispered.

"We're fine, ma."

Finally, Angela let go and took a step back. "Now, get upstairs and go clean yourselves up. I've gotta call your father and let him know you're home."

Jane nodded and the two headed up the steps.

"And Jane?"

Jane stopped midway up the staircase and turned to her mother.

"Don't ever pull something like that again. You hear me?"

Jane saw the seriousness in Angela's eyes and nodded. The older woman looked between the both of them before walking off towards the kitchen.

"Fuck, she's really mad," Jane whispered.

They made it up the stairs and walked towards Jane's bedroom. "I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't want to cause trouble with your family."

"You didn't." Jane stopped in front of a linen closet and pulled out two towels. "I should have called. It was on me."

They walked into the room and Jane shut the door behind them.

"You can have the shower first. I'll put some clothes out for you."

"Thank you." Maura stepped over to the bathroom and turned towards Jane in the doorway. The brunette was opening her closet door in search of some clothes that would fit the blonde.

"Would you like to join me?"

Jane whipped her head around and lifted an incredulous brow at Maura.

The blonde shrugged. "It would be more eco-friendly. We'd save water," Maura grinned flirtatiously.

Jane smiled and sauntered towards Maura. The blonde enjoyed seeing the mirth dancing in Jane's brown eyes. "As tempting as that sounds... and believe me it's _very_ tempting. I can't shower with you."

"Why not?" Maura pouted as Jane placed hands on her hips.

"Because the last thing on my mind while sharin' a shower with you is getting clean."

Maura smiled even wider. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of Jane's hair behind the brunette's ear. "What would be on your mind?" Maura husked.

Jane's eyes suddenly grew darker and she pulled Maura flush against her, making the blonde gasp. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Jane's lips came crashing down against Maura's. Within seconds they were enraptured in a passionate kiss.

"Mmm," Maura moaned as she wrapped her arms around Jane's neck.

The brunette slowly backed Maura into a wall and had her penned against it. Jane's hands moved down the blonde's lower back and she grabbed Maura's ass, pulling her closer. Maura felt a shiver run through her body at the touch. Jane moaned as she gave the firm muscle a squeeze. She could not get over how good Maura's mouth tasted as their tongues fought for lustful dominance.

Soon they pulled away for lack of breath and leaned their foreheads together.

"Oh," the blonde breathed, totally flustered. Now she knew what Jane would be thinking about.

Jane was breathing heavily as she attempted to speak. "I guess you better… get in the bathroom… and lock the door before I change my mind."

"Right. Good idea."

After showering up and throwing on a pair of clean clothes, Jane and Maura decided to head to the backyard and sit on the patio swing together.

Angela would peep out the kitchen window every once and awhile watching them. She was glad her little girl was happy. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Angela headed of the kitchen to the front door. She looked through the peephole and saw a woman that looked to be close to her age, standing on the other side. Curious, she opened the door. The woman was more beautiful than Angela had thought and she was well dressed in a silk blouse and black skirt.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Angela asked.

"My name is Constance Isles. I believe you have my daughter."

* * *

**A/N: There you go my peeps. Thoughts?**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I'm SORRY you guys. I've been sooo busy at work and the time to give you quality writing was taken away from me. I could have thrown together something and posted it earlier, but it would have been crappy. I try to give you all something good every chapter. So, I hope I'm forgiven after this. I even wrote more than usual :) A lot of you are very demanding! But it helps me get cracking. Happy reading!**

* * *

_Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Angela headed out of the kitchen to the front door. She looked through the peephole and saw a beautiful woman, close to her age, standing on the other side. Curious, she opened the door. The woman was more beautiful than Angela had thought and she was well dressed in a silk blouse and black skirt._

"_Hello. Can I help you?" Angela asked._

"_My name is Constance Isles. I believe you have my daughter."_

* * *

A small scowl fell over Angela's features after the mystery woman identified herself. Angela was never one to hide her emotions well. Her facial expressions always said it all. "Oh, you're Maura's mom, huh?"

"Yes. I was informed by my butler that she was at this…" Constance looked past Angela and gave the house a once over with a disapproving look on her face. "…residence?" she finished.

Angela caught the undertone of an insult and was instantly put off by Constance's obvious bigotry. She folded her arms in front of her chest and eyed the woman up and down. "Yeah, she's here. The girls told me what happened last night."

"Good. Then you know my daughter is being disobedient and must come home with me at once."

Angela gave an unamused chuckle before stepping outside with Constance and closing the door behind her. Constance looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Okay, listen, Constantine."

"The name is _Constance_," she corrected. "That's Mrs. Isles to you."

Angela rolled her eyes, already growing tired of this woman and her high horse. "Constance, Mrs. Isles, whatever," Angela countered. "I may not know a lot of things but I know Maura is a good kid... a real sweetheart that cares for others like no one's business. But right now she is heartbroken because her own mother won't accept her."

Constance looked at her, outraged. "This is none of your concern. I demand to see my daughter now."

"Oh, it's a big concern for me," Angela shot back. "Do you know how often Maura has been over for dinner? Do you know how much time she spends here?"

"It sounds like too much time."

"Well, its more time than I can count for the past few months, I'll tell you that. But you know what? I don't mind, because Maura has told me herself that she would rather be with us than at home."

Constance scoffed. "That's absurd. I won't listen to this any further. Bring Maura to me."

"I'm not done yet. Have you even asked yourself yet why Maura ran away from home?"

"She's clearly confused. Maura is at a stage in her life where she can be easily influenced and being around… unsuitable outside sources is causing her to act abnormally."

"Unsuitable sources, huh? Oh, you mean blue collar folks like us," Angela stated, rather than questioned.

Constance defiantly stuck her chin out, refusing to answer Angela's question. They both knew the answer just by the look in Constance's eyes. "She has no reason to run from me. I've given her everything a young girl could possibly want."

"Yeah? What about attention? What about love? She wants to feel like she belongs somewhere." Constance looked as though she were about to speak but Angela cut her off. "She needs those things and she finds it here. I treat Maura like one of my own."

Constance was clearly offended. "Are you accusing me of not raising my daughter properly?"

Angela looked at the woman before her and actually felt sorry for Constance. Did she really not understand what she was trying to say? "No lady, but don't you see that if your kid is running away from you somethin' ain't right?"

A wave of realization seemed to pass over Constance's face. It almost looked like sadness but it was quickly diminished by anger. "I want to see my daughter, NOW," Constance firmly stated.

Angela stood strong, not the least bit intimidated by her. "Fine, I can't stop you from trying to take Maura out of here, but it's a different story if she doesn't want to go with you. I also won't stand there and watch you put her down or bad mouth my home or my family. If you do, I'll kick you out on your ass. Got it?"

Constance narrowed her eyes slightly but puffed out her chest, keeping her pride intact as she relented. "Very well. I'm sure this can be handled civilly."

Angela opened the door and allowed Constance to step inside the house.

Meanwhile, Jane and Maura sat in the backyard cuddled up together on the patio porch swing. Jane gently rocked them with the end of her toe pushing off the ground. Maura had her head on Jane's shoulder and an arm around her stomach. Jane held the blonde to her while she gently leaned her head against Maura's.

It was midday and the breeze outside was slightly chilly, but not cold enough for a coat. A few of the other neighborhood kids could be heard playing somewhere off in the distance, but other than that it was peaceful.

The blonde sighed softly. "This is nice; just being here with you."

Jane smiled softly. "Yeah." She held onto the hand on her stomach and intertwined their fingers. This was nice for the moment but it would not always be like this. The reality of the situation suddenly came crashing down on Jane's conscious.

"What will you do now, Maura?"

Maura knew Jane was talking about the situation with her mother. She closed her eyes as she took a moment to think of a reply. "I don't know. I can stay with you?" Maura stated as a hopeful question.

"I'd like that, but how long can that last?"

Maura exhaled heavily and snuggled into Jane's shoulder. "For as long as I can make it last, I suppose. I don't want to go home, Jane."

"I know, baby."

"Why can't I have a mother like yours? One that listens… and is patient… and who accepts me for who I am. I don't know what to do, Jane," she helplessly replied.

"You're not alone in this, Maura. No matter what happens."

Maura knew the Rizzoli family would always be there for her and she took comfort in that fact, however, there was still a gap in her heart that could not be filled and that was the rejection she felt from her mother. Maura bit her bottom lip and shook her head sadly. "Maybe I'm not worthy of a mother's love," she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Jane gently asked.

"Even my birth mother gave me away, Jane. She must have seen that there was something wrong with me... and now the woman who raised me does not understand who I am nor does she care to."

Jane moved out of their cuddle and turned to grasp Maura's shoulders with her hands. She looked into sad hazel eyes. "Maura, there is nothing wrong with you. Your mother _and _your birth mother have issues of their own that make them idiots for not wanting to know you. You've done nothing wrong."

Maura looked into Jane's soft brown eyes and smiled softly. Jane had a knack of knowing what to say to make her feel better. She raised her hand and traced her thumb along one of Jane's eyebrows. "Out of all the occurences that have happened to me, you have surprised me the most."

"Me?"

"How can you like me, Jane?" Maura asked with a shrug. "I've never had friends, I'm awkward when it comes to associating with people my age, I'm… as you would put it… weird."

"Look, if anything, I'm the weird one. I had a major crush on you for years and all I did was make your life a living hell. _That_ was weird. Dontcha think?"

"So, you're not denying that _I'm_ weird?"

Jane's eyebrows shot up. "Maura, did you not hear what I just said I…" Jane stopped short when she saw the grin appear on Maura's face. She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "You had me going there for a second."

"Yes, I did," Maura smugly replied.

Jane chuckled lightly and shook her head. She liked how the blonde would suprise her every once and a while with her left field sense of humor. Jane found it charming. She found herself looking at Maura for a moment, before cupping her cheek and staring into beautiful hazel eyes. She wondered how anyone could hurt someone as wonderful as Maura. She still wondered how she did it herself. Jane's expression became serious as she gently stroked the blonde's face. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me, you know that?" She whispered.

"Really?" Maura asked with disbelief, hope shining in her eyes.

Jane looked deeply into Maura's eyes and smiled softly. "Yes."

They stared at each other; both seeing what neither one of them was willing to admit... at least not yet. They felt a softness, a warmth, a comfort as they fell into the windows to their souls. Could an intensity and connection like this really exist? It seemed so unbelievable. But here they were, feeling so much in a single look.

Maura slowly leaned in and kissed Jane's lips tenderly. The brunette closed her eyes and felt her heart flutter as she kissed Maura back. It was a short kiss but enough to convey all they felt in that moment. When they pulled back, smiles were on their faces and their eyes danced with youthful happiness. It did not matter what was happening beyond their little world they had created for themselves. As long as they were together, they could get through anything.

Maura smiled softly as she gave Jane an eskimo kiss, then she leaned her head back Jane's shoulder. Jane leaned her head against Maura's and smiled softly. She had never felt so in touch with another human being before.

Little did they know, curious eyes were peering at them through the patio door. Constance was told by Angela that her daughter was in the backyard and she was steadfast to collect Maura and take her home. However, what she saw through the screen door made her stop in her tracks. Her daughter was cuddled up against the Italian girl's side, leaning her head on the girl's shoulder. She looked content and… happy. Both of them seemed happy. Constance had never seen her daughter interact with someone like this before. She had never seen her so at ease with another person. She knew Maura was socially awkward and had trouble connecting with others her age, but this? This made it seem like Maura was, normal… and in love.

Constance suddenly felt as though she was intruding and took a step back, lowering her gaze. Angela watched her from across the kitchen and wondered why Constance was not doing anything.

"Aren'tcha going out there?"

Constance slowly shook her head. "No, I… I'd rather not."

Angela placed a hand on one of the dining chairs in front of her as she looked at Constance. The woman seemed troubled, as though she were having an internal debate with herself. Angela figured a million questions must be swimming in Constance's mind.

"They make each other happy," Angela began. "I thank God every day for bringing Maura into my Janey's life. My daughter used to be a trouble maker. She'd get kicked out of school a lot, she made horrible grades, and she had an attitude with… _everyone_; but then she met your daughter, she changed. Maura got Janey to stop cursing so much, she tutored her, and brought this joy to Jane that," Angela shook her head. "I can't even describe it. So, to me, their relationship, no matter what it is, I'm thankful for it."

Constance stood there in silence for several moments. She was in disbelief, shock, and just a whirlwind of other feelings that left her speechless. Had she been that neglectful of Maura that she failed to know her? To understand her? She thought she knew Maura inside and out, but apparently she has only been scratching the surface. Her heart swelled with guilt and remorse. She had failed as a mother.

"I did not realize how close they were," Constance softly spoke, unable to look Angela in the eyes. "I know Maura is a good girl. Always does her studies… stays out of trouble. She never asks for much, but I did not know…" Constance let out a shaky breath. "I'm constantly overseas, in meetings, or at art shows… I had no idea my Maura felt so lost." She looked at Angela then. "I'm so happy she found people she can relate to. Who understand her..." She shook her head sadly, hating that she was not the one Maura could confide in. "I don't even know my own daughter."

Angela took in her words and tried to think of a way to ease the pain. "Would you like some tea?"

Constance smiled softly. That was not what she was expecting to hear but it was a pleasant suggestion none the less. "Yes, I could have a cup, thank you."

* * *

Jane and Maura were outside for another half hour before agreeing to head inside. They were not at all prepared for the sight that greeted them when they entered the house. Maura's breath caught in her throat when she saw her mother, Constance Isles, sitting at the kitchen table with Angela Rizzoli. She was giggling at something Angela had just said.

The two older women turned towards the girls and Constance's smile faded slightly. She was nervous to see her daughter. The room had become deathly silent until Angela broke the ice. "Hi girls, me and Constance were just having a chat."

Jane frowned. "About what?" she harshly questioned, not believing this stuck up woman have anything to talk about with her mother.

"Drop the attitude young lady," Angela demanded.

"But Ma, we told you what she did to Maura," Jane shot back, waving her hand at the other woman.

"And that's why I'm here," Constance interrupted, standing to her feet. She took a step away from the chair she was sitting in, looking into her daughter's eyes. "I came to take you home, Maura."

The blonde stood closer to Jane and held onto her arm. "I'm not coming home with you."

Constance's heart hurt at the sight of her daughter dismissing her. "I knew you would say that," Constance sighed, averting her eyes. She took a moment to find the strength to look into the angry hazel eyes before her. "I know I've upset you, Maura and you have good reason to not want to associate with me. I won't force you to come home. I just want to speak with you."

Maura lowered her eyes temporarily. She was still deeply hurt by how her mother had treated her. But Constance did show up just as Lars had requested her mother to do. She supposed that had to count for something. She felt Jane squeeze her hand slightly, to give her strength.

"Please, Maura," Constance softly spoke.

Maura hesitantly met her mother's gaze and she saw two things she had never seen before; compassion and sincerity.

"Fine, okay," the blonde firmly stated.

"Good," Constance sighed with relief. She glanced at the other two women in the room. "May we speak privately?"

"No," Maura shook her head. "Whatever you have to say you can say in front of Jane and Mrs. Rizzoli."

Angela and Jane discreetly exchanged weary glances. Should they really be involved in this? It seemed as though they did not have a choice in the matter anyway.

"As you wish," Constance politely cleared her throat and took a breath. "I haven't been there for you like a mother should be. I thought showing you the world and buying you whatever you desired was enough, but I was wrong."

Maura lowered her eyes sadly.

"The Rizzolis are good people. Unfortunately, because of my social background and prejudice I had to see this for myself to believe it. I was being selfish and I never considered your feelings. All I can hope for now is your forgiveness… and that you give me another chance."

Maura glanced at her mother but lowered her gaze once more. Constance felt her hope come crashing down at the sight. "And Jane?" She continued.

The brunette looked at Constance with a guarded expression.

"I am _terribly_ sorry for treating you the way that I did. It was uncalled for. Now that I've seen how you two are together…" Constance shrugged. "I have no right to keep two people who are in love apart."

Jane and Maura shyly glanced at one another and blushed.

"I trust you to look after my daughter. You're a good person."

"Uh… thanks," Jane mumbled.

Constance took one final look at Maura but the blonde failed to make eye contact. Maura kept her eyes lowered, biting her lip.

"So, I'll be leaving now," Constance announced, grabbing her purse from the kitchen table. "Please think about what I said, Maura. I'd really like to start over. Okay, well. I bid you all goodnight."

Constance began to leave the kitchen.

"Mother?"

Constance stopped and braced herself for what Maura had to say, before turning around. She may have ruined her relationship with Maura forever and it could never be repaired.

Maura hesitantly approached Constance and finally looked into the older woman's eyes. They stood there for a moment, silently regarding each other. Maura could see the apprehension in Constance's face. She had never seen her mother so vulnerable before. On instinct, Maura opened her arms for an embrace. With no hesitation, Constance stepped forward and hugged her tightly. It was an embrace like none other. Her mother had never held her this way. She felt the safety, the care, and the love that had been missing from her life. It was so overwhelming. When they finally pulled away, Constance had tears in her eyes and Maura's were already flowing freely down her cheeks.

Constance smiled sadly and cupped Maura's face. "My beautiful girl."

The blonde let out a small laugh of joy. Her mother really did love her.

"Will you be home tomorrow?" Constance asked hopefully. Maura nodded and Constance grinned. "We'll spend the day together, alright? You can have breakfast here, but I get you for lunch and dinner. Understood?"

Maura nodded vigorously with a grin on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Okay. I'll see you soon, darling." She leaned in and kissed Maura's cheek.

"I'll walk you to the door," Angela smiled.

"Thank you."

When the two mothers left the kitchen Jane walked over to Maura with a soft smile on her face. "Wow, that was… surreal." Jane commented.

Maura turned to Jane and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck, embracing her in a hug. "She cares about me, Jane." The blonde whispered into her girlfriend's neck.

Jane held her close and smiled softly. She was so happy for Maura that things had worked out with Constance. "I know, baby. I know."

* * *

That evening, the entire family watched an action film that was not quite to Maura's liking but she tried to remain engaged in the storyline.

It had soon become pretty late and everyone was practically falling asleep in the den. Like a drill sergeant, Angela was ordering everyone upstairs to bed. It reminded Maura of the first evening she spent at the Rizzoli home and she found herself smiling at the memory. All four teens headed up the steps.

"And you two." Jane and Maura turned to Angela. "No funny business," she warned.

"Ma! What the hell?!" Jane practically squeaked.

Tommy and Frankie could be heard snickering ahead of them as the two boys trudged off to their bedroom.

"Oh, please. I was a teenager once," Angela commented. "I know all about the sexual temptation."

Maura chuckled while Jane covered her face with her hands, wishing she could disappear. She shook her head. "We're not listening to this." She turned, pushing her girlfriend up the steps. "Get upstairs," she whispered under her breath to Maura.

Angela smirked at the two girls as they disappeared upstairs. She trusted them… kind of.

Jane had just finished washing up for the night and stepped out of her bathroom. She grinned when she saw Maura sitting up in the bed. Maura narrowed her eyes suspiciously with a small smile on her face. "What?"

Jane turned off her bathroom light and walked towards Maura. "I like seeing you in my bed."

"Oh, do you?" Maura asked with intrigue.

"Hell, yeah," Jane replied as she climbed in beside Maura.

The blonde chuckled lightly as Jane leaned in a placed a kiss on Maura's lips. "You and that mouth."

They smiled at each other softly, then shared a second kiss. Jane attempted to deepen it but Maura backed away, looking at the brunette with a coy expression. The blonde remembered what Angela had said to them and Maura never was one to break the rules. However, that did not seem to apply when Jane was involved.

The brunette chuckled lightly. "No funny business, huh?"

Maura smiled at her. "I just want to be respectful, Jane. It's your mother's house and her rules."

"But you're _my_ girlfriend and this is _my_ bed," Jane countered, leaning in closer. "…and we can make up rules of our own."

Maura almost fell for the seductive raspy voice Jane put on but she leaned away. "Jane Rizzoli, I do not want to get in a bad way with your mother."

Jane pouted. "You're really killing me, you know that?"

Maura chuckled. "I've known that for a long time now."

Jane smiled at her knowingly. "One more kiss?"

"Okay," Maura agreed, liking that she made Jane all needy for affection.

Jane leaned and closed her eyes in anticipation of feeling Maura's lips against her own. However, the only thing she got was a peck on her cheek and a "Goodnight, Jane."

Maura snuggled down under the covers and faced away from the brunette with a smirk on her face. Jane stared at her girlfriend's back with her mouth gaped open. Did that just happen? What the fuck? "Oh, so it's like that, huh?"

"Jane, go to sleep."

"Right, sleep," she grumbled. Jane turned and switched off her bedside lamp, casting the room in darkness. Small streaks of light came through the window blinds from the street lamps making things somewhat visible.

Jane laid down and scooted closer to the blonde, wrapping her arms around Maura from behind. The blonde hummed happily as she felt Jane's warmth surround her. This seemed so natural to both of them now. Neither one of them were sure if they'd be able to sleep another night without each other. They both sighed in contentment, waiting for sleep to overtake them.

However, the furthest thing from Jane's mind was sleep. The body of her hot girlfriend was flush against her wearing only a t-shirt and black boy shorts. It was Jane's only pair she had bought to try them out but they weren't for her. So, she let Maura borrow them for the night. She would rather stick with good old boxers, which she was currently wearing.

Another fifteen minutes went by and Jane was wide awake. She could not get her body to calm down, being this close to Maura. Smelling her… feeling her; No. Sleep was definitely not going to happen. Not with these blue balls.

"You awake?" Jane whispered.

"Yes," Maura whispered back.

"You can't sleep, either?"

There was a brief pause. "No, I'm... suddenly not very tired anymore."

Jane heard a small huskiness in Maura's voice and it made her throb with want. Unable to resist, she leaned forward and gently kissed the blonde's neck, right below her earlobe.

Maura shivered at the feel of Jane's warm lips on her skin. She figured that was just one innocent action, until she felt a second kiss, that lingered longer than the first. She shivered once more and this time the feeling traveled between her legs.

"Jane, what are you doing?" She breathed.

Jane smirked at Maura's reaction. "Nothing," she replied, placing another kiss on Maura's neck.

"That doesn't feel like nothing."

Jane leaned her face into Maura's hair and groaned softly. Her hand slowly moved under the covers and rested on Maura's thigh. "Maura…" she whispered in the blonde's ear.

Maura's breath caught in her throat and her heart began to pound. God, what Jane did to her. She still found it amazing how fast her body chemically reacted to Jane. "Yes," she squeaked.

"I can't stop thinking about last night... and this morning; us in bed on the yacht." Her hand began to caress Maura's thigh and she pushed her hips slightly into Maura's ass.

"Jane," Maura warily spoke.

"I can't stop thinking about it," she husked. "… and how much I want that again."

Maura let out a shuddering breath and shut her eyes tightly. "Jane, we can't. No funny business, remember?"

"Right…" Jane breathed, kissing Maura again. Her hands groped even more at the blonde's thigh. "I just liked being close to you..." Her hand moved to the hem of Maura's shirt, touching her firm stomach.

Maura felt as though she would lose her mind at the feel of the brunette's hand. It was slowly moving up her body causing chills to form all over. "Jane, please..." she whimpered.

Jane's hand stopped its travel up Maura's torso and the brunette exhaled a shaky breath. "Okay…" Jane moved her hand away and lowered Maura's shirt back down. She placed some space between them and laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry," she sighed yearningly. "It's kinda hard for me not to touch you… but you want to be respectful. I'm cool with that. I'll just fight it, right?" she chuckled halfheartedly.

Jane turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. A few moments passed and Jane soon felt the bed shift beside her. Maura turned over and faced the brunette, leaning up on her elbow. Jane shifted her eyes towards her and found fiery hazel staring back.

"You know what? I still really hate you sometimes," Maura murmured.

Jane felt her heart constrict a little. "You do?"

Maura leaned in closer. "I hate that you make me want you," she whispered.

Before Jane could react Maura's lips were crashing against her own. Jane hummed pleasantly as she kissed her back and her tongue instantly found purchase inside Maura's mouth. She then reached her hands down and pulled at the back of Maura's thighs. The blonde shifted over and climbed onto top of Jane, never breaking the kiss. Maura whimpered in pleasure as their hot bodies pressed together and the kiss became more aggressive with want.

She tore her lips away briefly. "Is the door locked?" Maura asked between kisses.

"Yeah… I checked it three times," Jane husked back.

Maura was amused by that and she smiled lightly.

Jane spread her legs, allowing Maura's thigh to press against her center. She closed her eyes and shivered at the contact. Her hands ran up Maura's back and down again to cup her ass. The blonde's compulsion to move her hips was too overwhelming to ignore. She closed her eyes in concentration as she began a slow grind against Jane's thigh.

The sounds Maura was currently making was causing Jane's heart to pound and her center to throb uncontrollably. She could feel the blonde's heat through the boy shorts and it was driving her crazy.

"Oh, yeah..." Jane whispered.

"Mmm… oh…" Maura moaned a little too loudly.

"Shh. Baby, you've got to be quiet," Jane whispered.

"How?" She panted, still lost in the delicious friction between her legs.

"Hang on." Jane reached towards her night stand and blindly grabbed her remote control. She aimed it towards the TV and the sounds of a television program filled the room.

"That's clever," Maura noted.

"A little something I learned growing up," Jane smiled.

Jane rolled them over so she was on top and once situated, they began to ride each other's thighs once more. Maura whimpered as Jane latched her mouth onto her heated neck. She arched her back and her hands found their way under Jane's shirt, scratching at the brunette's strong back. They were both panting heavily and moaning as the pleasure continued to build between them. Jane moved from Maura's neck and their lips met again in a deep kiss. Their hips found a rhythm and they rocked faster. It was becoming too much for Maura. She was feeling so much and knew she was so close, but panic suddenly struck her. She pulled away from the kiss. "Jane, wait… wait…" she got out between pants.

With much effort, Jane stopped and leaned up on her arms to look down at Maura. She could see apprehension on the blonde's face and Jane's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What's wrong?" she whispered. "Did I hurt you?"

Maura shook her head. "No… quite the opposite actually," she breathed.

Jane smirked lightly at the blonde's reply.

"I'm just… I've never…" Maura lowered her eyes shyly and shrugged. "…in front of anyone."

"Oh," Jane breathed, knowing what Maura was talking about. "That's okay. Neither have I," Jane said reassuringly. "You don't have to be embarrassed, baby." She reached up and gently stroked Maura's cheek with her thumb. "It's just me. It's just us. Okay?"

Maura bit her lip slightly and gave a soft nod. "Okay," she whispered back.

Jane placed a tender kiss on Maura's lips and the blonde immediately felt her anxiety melt away. She felt safe and comfortable with Jane. The kiss deepened and soon their hips began to rock once more. It did not take long for the brewing of their orgasms to make itself known again. The heat deep within their cores churned with each pleasurable thrust. They panted harder, moaned louder, and pumped their hips faster.

"Oh, God, Maura…" Jane husked.

"Jane…" the blonde breathed.

They both suddenly exploded into oblivion and began to tremble against each other as their pleasure reached its ultimate peak. They groaned and moaned into each other's shoulders as their hips came to a slow stop. Heart beats began to slow and breathing settled as they lay their motionless. Maura had never felt anything so hot and so intimate in her whole life. She felt so much closer to Jane now more than ever.

Maura held Jane close to her and placed her lips against the brunette's ear. "Jane," she whispered. "I love you."

The blonde was only met by the sounds of the TV and Jane's silence. Maura's heart pounded in her ears and she suddenly felt worried she said something wrong. Jane was still lying on top of her and had not said it word. Just when she was about to take back her words, she heard Jane sniffle. The brunette finally raised her head and Maura saw a sadden expression on Jane's face. In the lighting of the room, Maura could not tell if Jane was crying or just staring at her. She reached up and brushed Jane's cheek. It was wet with tears.

"Jane," she genuinely spoke, surprised by the brunette's reaction.

"Maura," Jane began with a slightly constricted voice. "I love you too." I've always loved you."

Maura let out a laugh of relief and grinned.

"You have no idea how many times I've imagined you saying that to me. I've always loved you."

Maura felt her heart melt at Jane's words. She was so in love. They leaned in and shared a kiss that sealed this new step in their relationship.

* * *

**A/N: There you have it. Hope it was worth the wait. And I apologize again. Love you all!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey all. I will be going on vacation for a week, so the next update will be a while. But I promise, I won't abandon the story. Take care and happy reading.**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 18**

Jane's eyes slowly opened to the sight of her bedroom ceiling and a warm sensation on her stomach. Actually, the entire right side of her body felt warm. Jane stirred and mumbled incoherently. That's when she heard a giggle. Maura's giggle. She shifted her eyes to the right and saw the most gorgeous girl in the world staring back at her.

Maura was leaning up on her elbow, looking down at Jane. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Hey, good morning," Jane replied in a deep raspy voice.

Maura smiled softly. She was beginning to realize that she liked Jane's morning voice. They looked into each other's eyes and both felt a shyness come over them as images of what transpired last night popped into their heads.

"Um... hi," Maura bashfully said.

Jane grinned at the blush that formed on Maura's face. "Hi."

The brunette placed a hand behind Maura's neck and gently pulled her down for a kiss. One kiss turned into two and it soon deepened. Maura felt the stirrings of her arousal start as Jane's tongue slipped into her mouth. They kissed for a few moments.

"Mmm," Jane purred as they broke the lip lock. "I can get used to waking up like this."

"Me too."

Jane quirked an eyebrow when she noticed the warmth on her stomach had been Maura's hand. The blonde was currently rubbing gentle circles on Jane's skin, under her shirt. Jane looked down at Maura's hand and then back up into mischievous hazel eyes.

"This seems familiar," Jane smirked at her.

Maura giggled softly. "Yes, it does. Only this time, I'm the one with my hand up _your_ shirt."

Jane grinned. "That you do."

Maura slowly pushed Jane's shirt further up her body exposing her stomach. "Hmm," she hummed with curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Jane asked with an amused smile on her face.

"Just looking." Maura's eyes raked over Jane's abs and she raised an impressed eyebrow. "Wow… you have very well-defined abdominals."

"Thank you."

Maura ran her hands over Jane's stomach and the brunette's breath caught. "I've wanted to run my hands over these for quite some time now."

Jane gasped at the touch and then gave a cocky smile. "Yeah?"

Maura nodded, looking into Jane's dark eyes. She loved how strong and well-defined her stomach muscles were and she found it was a major turn on for her. "I've wanted to do this too." Maura leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Jane's stomach.

Jane closed her eyes at the feel of Maura's soft lips on her skin and trembled slightly. God, this girl was going to kill her.

"You have an amazing rectus abdominis, Jane," Maura husked before placing another kiss on Jane's abs.

Maura pushed Jane's shirt up higher before placing a kiss on each of Jane's upper abs. She then moved down a row and kissed the next two sets of muscles. The brunette's mouth hung open slightly as she looked down and watched Maura's head move further down her stomach. Warm kisses were being left on practically every inch of her stomach. Jane moaned lightly at the sensual feel of Maura's lips.

"God, Maura… you're driving me crazy," Jane whimpered.

Maura looked up and grinned wickedly. "Good." Maura moved even lower and slightly pulled down Jane's boxers. The brunette lifted her hips slightly as the blonde's lips found purchase on the newly exposed skin. She felt herself become wet as she saw how close Maura was to her…

KNOCK. KNOCK. "Janey! Maura!"

Both girls scrambled away from each other and off the bed. They could hear Angela trying to open the door but it was still locked.

"What are you girls doing? Breakfast is ready!"

Maura hurried into the bathroom, while Jane rushed over to the door. She tried to collect herself and steady her breathing before she unlocked the door and opened it. Angela stood there with a suspicious look on her face. Jane swallowed nervously. "Morning, Ma."

"Why was the door locked?"

"Sorry, uh, Maura... she uh... was changing and... just in case Frankie or Tommy came barging in here I didn't want them gettin' an eye full."

Angela eyed Jane for a moment and the brunette tried to mask her anxiety. "Yeah, okay. Well, when you're done_ changing_, come down. I made pancakes."

"Okay, sounds good."

Angela walked away and Jane closed the door, blowing out a breath. Maura emerged from the bathroom with a guilty look on her face. "That was close."

Jane shrugged. "At least I locked the door this time."

Maura grinned widely and Jane smirked. "What's the smile for?"

"I like pancakes."

After a very filling breakfast with the Rizzoli family, it was time for Maura to head home. She and Jane were standing on the front porch outside. Lars had just pulled up to the front curb. He waved hello to Jane and she politely waved back. Jane and Maura turned to each other.

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

"I'd like that," Maura smiled.

Jane grinned and Maura swooned at the sight of the brunette's adorable dimples. "Good. So, I'll call you and we'll plan something."

"Sounds good to me," Maura replied as she stepped closer.

Jane opened her arms and they embraced each other in a close hug. Maura loved hugging Jane. She felt so warm, protected, and loved in her arms. It was one of Maura's favorite places. Jane leaned back and placed a soft kiss on Maura's lips. "Bye."

Maura smiled softly before she then leaned in a pecked Jane's lips. "Bye."

They looked into each other's eyes a little longer, not quite ready to leave each other yet. Then they both leaned in and kissed once more. It soon grew passionate but still gentle. There was no eagerness just comfort in knowing they loved each other. Maura could have sworn her toes were curling up at the intensity of this goodbye kiss. Jane made her feel so unbelievably cared for. They broke the kiss and looked at each other. Maura then stole one more kiss on Jane's cheek before walking down the steps. Jane smiled after her and watched her climb into the car with Lars. They waved to each other one final time and Jane watched the car disappear down the street. Maura Isles would be the death of her... and she loved it.

* * *

Constance and Maura had settled for lunch at a posh restaurant near a harbor that had a beautiful view of the water. They were engaged in small talk for a while but Constance had some burning questions for her daughter.

"So, Jane," she began, making Maura nearing choke on her oyster. "She seems like an interesting girl."

Maura cleared her throat slightly. "Yes, she is."

"You're obviously very taken with her. How did you two meet? In school I presume?"

"Um, yes. We did actually."

"Wonderful. So you were friends for how long before this romance ensued?"

"Actually, we were never friends, we um, well she… it's kind of hard to explain."

Constance frowned slightly.

"Well, before Jane was…" Maura sighed, deciding to come clean. "She was my bully, mother."

"Your bully? How do you mean?"

Maura took a sip of her drink and placed the glass back on the table. "I mean, an actual bully. She would make fun of me, shoot spitballs in my hair, those kinds of things."

Constance was shocked. "Pardon?"

Maura nodded. Constance looked at her daughter, surprised by how nonchalant she was talking about her bullied past. "Oh, my."

"Yea…" Maura warily replied.

"That is… well, how did she manage to… how did you…"

"Fall for her?"

Constance nodded. Maura shrugged slightly and smiled. "It was… instantaneous actually and very unexpected."

"The unexpected I understand, but instantaneous?"

"Well, one day I had finally had enough of her intimidation, so I stood up to her. Then out of the blue she... in a way, told me she had feelings for me."

"Really?"

Constance listened with intrigue as her daughter explained how she and Jane got together. She talked about her strategy of tormenting Jane and how she was attracted to her even though she despised her. Then she explained how she felt about Jane in general.

"Well, you certainly have a unique tale to tell your children."

Maura practically choked on the salad she was eating. "Mother! Children? I can't even think about that now," she shyly replied.

Constance smiled. "Are you truly happy darling? With Jane?" She sincerely asked.

"I am. I love her mother and she loves me." Maura looked down and a slow smile formed on her face as she recollected that moment with Jane. "She told me for the first time last night."

Constance fondly looked upon Maura and saw that the love bug had indeed bitten her daughter. "Oh, to be young and in love," she gushed. "I remember my first love."

Maura leaned forward, interested in hearing about her mother's past.

"His name was Bradley Goretti."

Maura frowned. "Father wasn't your first love?"

"Oh, dear heavens no."

"Goretti," Maura repeated. "That's Italian."

"Yes, it is." Constance nodded. "Brad was Italian."

"But, when I told you about Jane being..."

"I know," Constance nodded. She lowered her eyes and sighed heavily. "I was being harsh about Jane being Italian and lower class because it reminded me so much of Brad… and how things with him did not work out the way we planned."

"What happened?"

"I was sixteen," Constance began.

Maura was soon drawn into a story from her mother's past. She learned that Constance and Brad were deeply in love and it was a whirlwind romance. He was a tough Italian eighteen year old from the other side of the tracks and she was rich and well educated, much like Maura is today. They had to secretly see each other because Constance knew her parents would not approve of Brad. Her parents eventually found out however and tried to keep them apart, but of course, teenagers in love always found a way. Brad was always sweet and gentle with Constance in private, but when he was in front of his buddies he had a reputation. He was hotheaded and never backed out of a challenge. That's what led to his tragic end. One evening, Brad was challenged to a drag race. He was killed in a head on collision.

Constance was left heartbroken and promised herself to never get involved with Italians or people of the lower class. It only reminded her of Brad and she tried to shut that sadness out of her heart forever. She figured she would be better off only associating with socialites and the rich. So, when Maura brought home a female version of Brad, she did not want her daughter involved in the slightest.

Maura reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on Constance's. "Mother, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's okay, Maura," Constance said, dabbing the corner of her eye with a napkin. "You didn't know. I'm sorry I was not honest with you from the start."

They were silent for a moment and Constance smiled sadly. "Jane, cares about you a great deal. I can see that. I'm happy you and Jane found each other. Cherish your time together."

"I will mother. I promise."

* * *

Jane and Frost had just finished up a one on one game of basketball and were sitting on a park bench chatting. Frost sat hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees and Jane was slouched back with one arm draped behind the bench. She chugged her water bottle, heartily quenching her thirst. She listened as Frost talked about his relationship with Anna.

"I think I love her," he said.

Jane raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You think? Frost, you've been in love with her for like, ever."

"Whatever," Frost bashfully shrugged.

"Have you told her?"

"Not yet. I'm kinda waitin' for the right time."

Jane nodded in understanding. "That's cool."

"Speakin' of _looove_. How are you and Maura doing?" Jane couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face as she thought of her girlfriend. Frost caught the look and smirked at her. "By the look on your face I'd say it's going well."

"Really well."

"How well?"

"She uh... she's great, Frost." Jane rubbed the back of her neck, trying to contain her smile. "Last night she… told me she loved me."

Frost gave a skeptical expression. "You mean she gave you a certain _look _and you interpreted it as love," Frost guessed.

"No, man. She actually said the three words. She loves me," happily smiled.

Frost's mouth dropped open in shock and Jane chuckled at his expression. "Yeah, I know. It surprised me too."

"She said it first?"

Jane nodded.

"Wow, that's... wow. You said it back right?"

"I did and it was..." Jane remembered how Maura's voice had whispered those three heavenly words in her ear. "I'll never forget it."

"Aw, look at you gettin' all misty eyed."

"Shut up," Jane whined pushing Frost in the arm. He chuckled lightly.

"Well, that's awesome, Jane. I'm happy for you. I'm glad it all worked out with Maura."

"Thanks."

"So, you guys comin' to Giovanni's birthday party next Saturday?"

"I'd rather jump off a bridge."

"Oh, come on, Jane."

"No. You know I can't stand Giovanni. Why would I go?"

"Because it'll be fun and he's doing a cool theme. Everyone dresses up like it's the 1920's!"

Jane shook her head. "I don't know. I really hate that dress up shit."

Frost nudged his shoulder against Jane's. "Maura would probably love it," he noted.

Jane sighed. "I still don't get why you're friends with him."

"We're kind of friends. I'd call us mutual acquaintances."

"Whatever," Jane grumbled.

"Just see what Maura says."

Jane shrugged. "I'll ask her," she relented.

"Cool."

They stood from the bench and began to head off the basketball court. A slow smirk formed on her face as she had a thought. "Maybe she'll want to be a sexy flapper or something."

"Nope, sorry buddy, that's what my girl is wearing. Pick something else."

Jane shook her head and laughed. "Did you pick it?"

"I might have had some influence, but the final say was hers," Frost innocently shrugged.

"Sure," Jane replied, unconvinced.

Frost grinned and dribbled the basketball a few times as they left the park.

* * *

Of course, Maura had eagerly agreed to attend the party, much to Jane's dismay and all four of them carpooled to Giovanni's place. They approached the two story home and loud music could be heard thumping from the inside. Anna was wearing a red lindy lace flapper costume, Frost was wearing a navy blue gangster costume complete with a hat and suspenders, Jane wore a black pinstripe suit with her hair gelled back, hidden under a black hat. Maura thought she looked handsome… for a girl. Maura wore a silver and gold draping dress that stopped just past her knees and a long pearl necklace. She even managed to pull off a popular style at the time known as the finger wave.

Giovanni greeted them at the door in his own costume, but he wore a suit with no jacket. Just grey dress pants, a white shirt and black suspenders.

"Frost, buddy. Come in!" He said over the loud music. He eyed the girls that followed Frost inside. "Va va voom! You girls look hot."

Jane pulled Maura into her side, letting Giovanni know to back off.

"Jane, are you supposed to be a dude?"

"I'm a lady gangster, Giovanni."

"Riight. You look hot too. I mean for a chick in dude's clothes."

"Thanks," Jane replied, forcing a smile.

Frost cleared his throat. "Thanks for inviting us, man."

"Hey, me's queso es sus queso."

Maura frowned. "I think you mean, mi casa es su casa," Maura thoughtfully corrected.

Jane stifled a laugh as Giovanni looked confused.

"That's what I said. Right?" He asked.

"Well, you said queso, which is a chili and melted cheese dish that originated in the Northern Mexican state, Chihuahua. It's typically served as an appetizer that…"

"Maur," Jane cut in, raising a hand. "You better stop before Giovanni's head explodes."

Maura looked at the young man and realized he had a bewildered look on his face.

"Sorry," Maura sheepishly said.

Jane smiled softly at Maura's geekiness and held her closer before placing a kiss on her cheek. Maura instantly felt her awkwardness melt away. Jane did that for her.

"Um, would you both be gentlemen and grab us some drinks?" Anna asked.

"Sure," Frost smiled. "Giovanni, lead the way."

"Alright, now you're talkin' my language," Giovanni grinned. "We'll be back ladies." He winked at them. "So, hot." He walked into the crowd and Frost gave a shrug before following him.

Anna turned to Jane and Maura with an incredulous look on her face. "So, that's Giovanni? Frost warned me about him, but I didn't know he was…"

"Dumb?" Jane guessed.

Anna chuckled. "I was going to say slow, but that works too."

The three girls shared a laugh.

The boys soon returned with their drinks and within an hour they were all having a good time. They danced, played a few games that were set up, and everyone took part in the best 1920s dressed costume. Frost ended up winning on for the male side.

Jane and Maura were currently slow dancing, much to the blonde's insistence. They held each other, leaning their foreheads together. Jane was not a dancer, but if it was a chance to share some intimacy with Maura, she was in.

"What the fuck are you two dykes doing here?"

Jane immediately felt her skin crawl when she heard the familiar voice. She turned around to see none other than Joey Grant. Jane frowned, wondering where he came from. Had he been here the entire time? With the hat and suit he was wearing, he could easily blend in with the crowd.

"I know you're not talkin' to us." Jane shot back.

"I don't see any other lezbos here Rizzoli."

The brunette felt her blood boiling, but Maura's soothing hand on her arm calmed her. "Look, we're just here to have a good time. Piss off." JAne took the blonde's hand in her own. "Come on, Maur."

The two of them turned and began to walk away. "Hey? Where you goin'?" he said, following them. "I thought we were still catchin' up, Rizzoli."

Jane felt his presence behind them and she whirled around. "I suggest you leave us alone, unless you want another ass beating."

Joey smirked slightly. It was then that Jane saw a small line of a scar going across the bridge of his nose. Good. He had something to remember her by and if he kept at it, he would have more.

"You got lucky last time. I'm up for a second round."

"Oh, really?" Jane took a threatening step forward and Maura gripped Jane's forearm.

"Jane, don't."

Joey looked at Maura and leered at her body, up and down. "Nice costume. You sure did pick a nice one, Rizzoli. She looks real tight and fit. Probably an animal in the sack, am I right?"

"I've had enough of your fuckin' mouth Joey!" Jane charged for him, but Maura placed her whole body in front of Jane, pushing against her chest.

"Jane! Don't! Please!" The blonde desperately cried. Tears were forming in her eyes.

Suddenly, Frost and Anna came up next to them. "She's right, Jane. Come on. He's not worth it." Frost said, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder.

Joey grinned at her before walking away. The muscles in Jane's jaws tightened and it took every ounce of her will not to tackle that asshole to the ground. Joey disappeared into the crowd and a part of Jane hated that she had not done anything.

Maura sighed in relief, glad that nothing escalated, but she was still disappointed in Jane's behavior.

"I think we should call it a night," Frost suggested.

"Yes, Barry, I think that would be wise," Maura nodded.

After a quick goodbye to Giovanni, they all piled into Frost's car and headed for home. The entire car ride, Jane was silent. She was still stewing over her run in with Joey. God, he was a dick. What was his problem with her? Jane still wished she had bashed his face in.

Frost dropped them at Jane's house and they headed towards the house.

"That night didn't turn out the way I had hoped."

"No, it didn't," Maura quipped. She walked a little faster up the stoop, leaving Jane's side, to get to the front door. Jane frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Maura replied, not looking at Jane.

"You're lying."

"Jane, will you please just open the door?" Maura exasperated.

"No. Are you mad at me about somethin'?"

"Jane…"

"Tell me."

"Yes, I'm upset with you," Maura said, raising her voice slightly. She looked at Jane then and the brunette's saw an expression she'd never seen. It was a mixture of fire, anger, and worry at the same time.

Jane's face soften a bit. She was confused. "Why?"

"You almost got into a fight, Jane!" Maura practically shouted. She had suddenly become even more angry by the fact that Jane was unaware of why she was upset.

The brunette automatically put up her defensive walls. "_Almost_," Jane emphasized. "Nothing happened," she stated with finality.

"That's not the point! Just the fact that you were willing to jump into a fight is what's wrong!"

"But I didn't!"

"But you would have if Frost and I were not there to stop you. Am I right?"

Jane looked away and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, so what?"

"So_ what_?"

"I don't like that fucker talkin' about you that way. He deserves to get his teeth knocked out. I should have done it."

"Do you hear yourself? Jane, you can't just jump into fights like that!"

"Why not? I have a right to defend my girlfriend, don't I?"

"Yes, but not with your fists. Not anymore."

Jane took a step forward and Maura saw the rawness in those dark chocolate eyes. "Look at me. This is me, Maura. I'm the troublemaker, remember? It's what I do and who I am. You damn well knew about this side of me before we got together."

Maura took a breath through her nose as she held Jane's gaze. "You don't understand do you?" She asked, her expression turned solemn. "I know that is a part of you, Jane… but now you have me. I care about you so much I…" Tears formed in Maura's eyes and Jane's resolve was shattering. "I wasn't just going to stand there and watch you get hurt. The thought of anyone hurting you scares me, Jane. Don't you see that?"

The blonde then turned away from her, to hide the tears running down her face. Jane stood there a moment as she allowed Maura's words to sink in. She was being an asshole. The brunette's heart constricted with guilt when she heard Maura sniffle.

"Maur… Maur turn around please."

The blonde took a moment, but she finally turned. She could not look into Jane's eyes.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I wasn't thinking, okay? If anyone were to hurt you I don't know what I'd do either."

Maura wast still looking at the ground.

"Come on, hey," JAne whispered, raising Maura's chin. Their eyes met. "I won't fight anymore, baby. I promise you."

Maura's bottom lip quivered and Jane pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you," she whispered. Maura held onto Jane for dear life, never wanting harm to come upon the brunette. It made her think of her mother's first love and the similarities between Brad and Jane were definitely there. She would not know what she'd do if she ever lost Jane. Jane was her everything.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, stay on the lookout for the next update. I'll be back. Take care and I hope you liked the chapter.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I am shocked and saddened by the sudden death of actor Lee Thompson Young. I was a fan of his work and especially his beloved character, Barry Frost. I will continue to have Frost in my stories despite the fact that the actor that brought him to life is longer with us. He had a light to him that would shine through the TV screen and I like writing the essence of that light in my story. I just feel sorry that Lee was hurting so much that he felt there was no way out. It's heartbreaking.**

**Please enjoy this latest chapter. Sorry for the LONG delay but I'm back! Happy reading!**

* * *

**Bully in Love**

**Chapter 19**

"Cannon ball!" Tommy loudly exclaimed before jumping into the warm pool.

Anna and Maura shrank back as a splash of the water nearly hit them as they lounged on chairs nearby.

"Tommy!" Jane scolded, standing by the edge of the pool.

The young boy emerged from under the water with a grin on his face. He pushed back the flattened dark hair from his forehead and looked up. He was met by a disapproving look on Jane's face. "What?"

"I told you not to do that near Anna and Maura!"

"I didn't even splash them!" He argued back.

"It was close enough. Go to the other side!"

"Okay, geez. Sorry, mom," he sighed, sarcastically, before quickly ducking underwater. He swam to the opposite end of the pool where Frankie and Frost were putting up the volleyball net.

"Oh, Jane it's okay. He's only having fun," Maura smiled.

Jane glanced over at her girlfriend with a small scowl. "Still, he should show a little respect."

"Respect comes with maturity and at Tommy's age that is hard to find."

"Really?" Jane question but it came off as a sarcastic statement.

Maura didn't catch it as so.

"Why, yes. Longitudinal neuroimaging studies demonstrate that the adolescent brain continues to mature well into the 20s…"

Jane saw where this was going and slowly began to approach Maura. An amused expression was on her face as she watched the blonde launch into lecture mode.

"The frontal lobes of the brain that control neural circuitry such as planning, working memory, and impulse control, are the last areas of the brain to mature. They may not be fully developed until halfway through…"

Jane placed her hands on either side of the lounge chair and swiftly leaned over Maura, cutting off the blonde's words with her lips. When she leaned back slightly, she smirked as Maura was rendered speechless.

Maura had literally lost her train of thought. Damn Jane and those intoxicating lips. Jane grinned, liking that she could throw off Maura's concentration.

The blonde pouted slightly. "I hate when you do that."

Jane chuckled lightly and kissed Maura's forehead. "I'm just tryin' to help you relax that brain of yours." The brunette stood up straight and Maura was again temporarily distracted by Jane's abs which were openly rippling from the two pieces bathing suit she was wearing.

"Yeah, well…" Maura forced her eyes up to meet Jane's. "I can relax my brain all on my own thank you."

Jane glanced at Anna with an incredulous expression. Anna grinned with a shrug of her shoulders. "You heard her Jane."

The brunette turned back to her girlfriend. "Alright, smartypants. Let's see if you can go the rest of the night without rambling off the Webster's dictionary."

"Fine. I can do that."

"We'll see," Jane smiled before turning and doing a perfect dive into the pool.

"You really think you can hold out?" Anna asked.

Maura glanced at her with some uncertainty but she quickly masked it. "Of course I can. The odds are in my favor after all. I'm the one who controls what I say and when I say it."

Anna snickered lightly.

"What?" Maura frowned.

"No offense, Maura but you have a tendency to go off into a lecture at any given moment. I'll just be amazed if you can do it."

"I can't say it will not be difficult, but I believe I can handle it." Maura already felt her anxiety building and the itchiness of hives forming.

"Okay," Anna replied in a sing-song voice. She looked across the pool and stared at her boyfriend with a smile. "God, I love Barry's body."

Maura smiled. "Yes, his torso is quite impressive, muscles are well developed." The blonde's eyes left Frost's body and found Jane's. She bit her lip lightly as she watched Jane climb up the ladder and out of the water. The brunette seemed to be moving in slow motion as Maura's eyes raked over her from head to toe. The tanned Italian skin, the perfectly sculpted legs… those abs. "Yes, the… muscle structure of the human body is fascinating," Maura mindlessly spoke, no longer aware of the company beside her. "There are three types of muscles…"

"Maura."

The blonde was still lost in her examination of Jane's body across the pool and continued. "Visceral, cardiac, and skeletal. Muscles move by shortening their length…"

"Maura."

"…pulling on tendons, and moving bones closer to…"

"Maura!" Anna spoke loudly, shaking the blonde's shoulder.

"Huh? What?"

Anna raised her eyebrows and gave Maura an 'I told you so' look. That's when the blonde realized her mistake. "Oh, shoot! I just did it, didn't I?"

Anna laughed and shook her head. "Totally, but don't worry. I won't tell, Jane. Consider that a freebie."

Maura gave a small smile. "Thanks."

"Hey guys, come on! We got the volleyball net up!" Frankie yelled to them.

"Let's do this!" Frost exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Anna and Maura shared a look before leaving the comfort of their lounge chairs and joining the others in the pool. They ended playing three games, switching up the teams every time and had a blast. As they all laughed and played together, Maura could not help but think of how fulfilling this all was. These were her friends. Her real, _physically here_, friends. She felt immensely happy for knowing them and knew she would never feel lonely again.

Everyone was folding up their towels and putting clothes on over their bathing suits, ready to go home. Well, everyone except Jane. She was spending the night at Maura's. They eventually moved to the foyer of the mansion saying their goodbyes as Lars stood by the open front door.

"Thanks again from giving Tommy and Frankie a lift home," Jane said to Frost.

"It's cool, Jane. I got you." He glanced over to where Maura and Anna were chatting and a rueful grin covered his face. "Have fun tonight, but Jane…" He paused for dramatic effect and conspiratorially leaned closer. "Don't forget to use protection."

"Shut up!" She laughed, playfully shoving him.

"Hey. I'm just looking out for you," he innocently shrugged as he backed away.

Anna soon joined Frost, taking his hand in her own. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Just giving Jane some advice."

"I'm sure you were." She began to pull Frost out the door. "Bye you guys and Maura, thanks again for inviting us over."

"It was my pleasure, Anna," Maura smiled.

"See ya, later Janey!" Tommy yelled. "Bye, Jane!" Frankie shouted. As they rushed out the door. The brunette shook her head as she watched her brothers race towards the car. Did they have to be competitive in everything?

"Later guys!"

Then they were gone. Lars also bid them a goodnight for the evening. He would be taking the night off along with other members of the Isles Estate. Constance was out of town for this weekend so they pretty much had the place to themselves. They stood alone in the foyer and turned to one another with shy smiles on their faces.

"So, you've got me here all alone. What do you wanna do?" Jane asked with a gleam in her eyes.

Maura smiled and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck, looking up at her. "Well, first, I want to get out of this bathing suit."

"That sounds good to me so far. Then what?"

"Then, I was thinking I'd take a shower."

"Mmm, that _really_ sounds good." She placed her hands on Maura's lower back and pulled her closer to her front. "I need a shower too, you know?"

"Of course, and there are several guest rooms available for you to use."

"Why would I want to use a guest shower when yours works perfectly fine?"

Maura rose a scandalized eyebrow and smirked. "Why Jane Rizzoli... are you trying to see me in the nude?"

"What? No, no of course not." Jane spoke with mock shock. "I'm only thinking of the environment, you know; trying to save water and all that good stuff."

"Right," Maura stated, unconvinced.

"Besides… you naked, gross."

Maura's face dropped a little. "You find the image of me nude appalling?"

Jane noticed Maura's expression and she felt a slight panic. "Huh? Wha… no, Maur. I'm joking. You think I've never pictured you naked? I have dreams… vivid, daydreams… fantasies, even. I'm sure you have a knockout body under those clothes."

Maura smiled mischievously, flattered that Jane thought those things and the brunette blushed slightly. Maura liked those rare occasions when she made Jane shy. Maura leaned in closer to Jane's face. "The towels are in the linen closet in the hallway," she whispered against Jane's lips. She closed the distance between them and they shared a lingering kiss that sent tingles through their bodies. "Meet me in the kitchen for dinner when you're done."

The blonde stepped out of Jane's arms and headed up the stairs. Jane smirked after her and checked out the blonde's ass as Maura climbed the steps.

"Playin' hard to get, huh?" Jane called to her.

Maura looked back and gave her a wink, which made a shot of arousal hit Jane's core. Oh, what Maura Isles did to her.

After their 'separate' showers, the two of them met in the kitchen and made their dinner plates. The cook had left linguini with clam sauce for them, per Maura's recommendation. They sat at the dining table and chat, giggled and filled their tummies with a delicious and heart meal. Jane helped Maura clear their dishes and they headed into the kitchen.

"Would you like dessert?" Maura asked as they placed their plates in the dishwasher.

"Sure. What do we got?"

The blonde smiled and crossed over to one of the many cabinets in the kitchen. She opened it and reached inside. When she turned around she was holding a plastic bag of...

"Chocolate chips?" Jane asked.

"Yes. How about chocolate chip cookies?"

"Okay… I see the chips, but no cookie dough anywhere…" Jane looked around the kitchen and then realization hit her. "Unless… oh no…"

"We're going to bake them from scratch!" Maura cheerfully exclaimed.

"Yay…" the brunette unenthusiastically replied.

"Oh, Jane don't be that way," the blonde said, walking over to stand by her. She set the bag of chocolate chips on the counter and then bent down, opening a cabinet. "I know you don't like to cook…"

"Right. I don't like to cook."

"That's why we are baking," Maura smiled, placing a large mixing bowl on the counter.

"Oh, ha ha, Maur. Like there's a big difference."

"It'll be fun," Maura encouraged. "I've never actually baked anything before."

"Never?"

The blonde shook her head. "No. So, I thought this would be something fun to try with you." Maura moved a small book from the center of the island and opened it up. "See, I even have the recipe too," she gleefully said.

This was really not Jane's thing, but when Maura turned to her with that bright smile and hopeful hazel eyes full of anticipation, Jane was a goner. Maura could have her do whatever she wanted in that moment. "Okay," she relented with a small smile.

"Really?" Maura grinned.

"Yeah, let's do it."

"Yay!" Maura cheered. She leaned up and kissed Jane on the cheek. The brunette immediately grinned at the action.

They went about gathering all the necessary ingredients and began their baking indevore. Jane did not want to admit it, but she was actually having a good time putting the dough together as Maura called out measurements of each ingredient.

"I could probably get a hang of this baking thing," Jane said as they shaped the dough into balls, placing them on the baking sheet.

"See, I told you it'd be fun."

"Yeah. At home I just hate when Ma pressures me to learn recipes. She says, 'all women should know how to cook, Janie and all women should love it.'" Jane spoke in her best impersonation of her mother. Maura laughed.

"That's your mother's opinion." Maura said as she walked towards the preheated oven with the cookie sheet. "Just because you are female does not mean you are required to enjoy the wonders of cooking. Though there have been studies proven that women are the ones who take charge in cooking meals for the family. However, did you know that 93% of executive chefs in the restaurant industry are men?"

She placed the cookies in the oven and turned to Jane. "Traditionally, women were known to…" Maura stopped herself short when she saw the shit eating grin on her the brunette's face. She had rambled and Jane was loving it.

"I knew you couldn't help yourself," the brunette lightly chuckled.

"Oh, damn!" Maura muttered, as she balled her fists and shook them.

"Whoa!" Jane laughed, following Maura back to the counter. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard you cuss."

Maura sheepishly smiled and lowered her eyes.

"I think I like it. You should do it more often."

Maura's mouth gaped open in shock. "I will not!"

Jane grinned at the blonde's reaction. "You should."

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Maura began to back away and Jane slowly approached her.

"Yes…"

They were toe to toe now and looking at each other with smiling eyes.

"No…" Maura breathed. Jane smiled softly and leaned in closing her eyes. Instead of the expected kiss, something that felt like powder was suddenly flicked onto her face. Jane's eyes popped open in shock and Maura had a wicked grin on her face. Flour was speckled over the brunette's nose and left cheek. Jane stood there with her mouth gaped open and Maura could no longer hold in her giggles. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, you're gonna wish you hadn't done that," Jane growled, playfully.

Maura immediately took off running through the kitchen and out the swinging door. Jane was hot on her heels, chasing her through the dining room. The blonde continued down a long corridor and turned into the lounge. Jane had never been in there before, but she could care less about her surroundings. Her main focus was the laughing blonde she was closing in on. Jane grasped Maura around the waist from behind and the blonde squealed in surprise. Maura lost her footing due to Jane body weight and they fell onto the large plush sofa in the room. Jane flipped Maura onto her back and straddled the blonde. Leaning up on her knees she began to tickle Maura's ribs.

"Say you're sorry!"

"I'm… sorry! I'm sorry!" Maura barely got out between laughs.

"Say you're sorry for throwing flour in my face!"

"I'm sorry for…" Maura could not speak as barrels of laughter fell out of her.

"Come on! Say it!" Jane laughed as she continued her assault.

"I'msorryforthrowingflourinyourface!" Maura quickly got out.

Jane stopped her tickling and allowed the blonde to catch her breath. She leaned her arms on either side of Maura's head and hovered over the blonde. "Good. I hope you learned your lesson."

Maura's chest was heaving as she recovered from her tickle attack. She looked up at Jane with a large grin on her face. "I have," she breathed. The brunette smiled down at her and Maura felt her heart jump at the sight of Jane's dimples and soulful chocolate eyes.

Maura reached a hand up and wiped away the remaining speckles of flour from Jane's face. The brunette chuckled lightly.

"You got me," Jane smiled.

Maura gave a genuine smile and cupped Jane's cheek. "I know I do." The blonde said, turning the meaning of Jane's words around.

The brunette understood what Maura meant and looked down into hazel eyes full of joy and trust. Two of many things the brunette had always wished to give Maura. How did she get so lucky to have this girl love her?

"You're so beautiful," Jane gently whispered. "You know that?"

Maura felt her heart swell with love and she brushed back some of the wild dark curls of Jane's hair. "You're beautiful too… and very sweet."

Jane felt Maura pull her down by the back on her neck and the brunette willingly obliged by laying her whole weight on top of the blonde. Their lips met in a soft kiss that lingered for a few moments. Maura's hands ran up Jane's back and up to the back of her shoulders. Her hands firmly gripped onto the brunette as Jane kissed her deeply but gently. Jane's tongue lightly ran over Maura's lips and the blonde opened her mouth, allowing Jane inside. They kissed sensually for minutes and could not get enough. Maura arched her back, pressing herself into Jane's body. Jane loved the feel of the blonde against her. She broke the kiss and shifted her mouth to the side of Maura's neck. The blonde moaned softly as Jane aggressively kissed and sucked on her skin. She ran her hands under Jane's shirt and gripped the brunette's back. Both girls felt the heat between them becoming intense. Jane slowly slipped her hand under Maura's shirt and for the first time, she cupped one of the blonde's breasts.

"Mmm…" Maura moaned, biting her lower lip.

Jane groaned in response and began to knead the blonde's breast. She was so turned on and felt the wetness gathering between her legs. She moved back up and connected their lips again and the blonde eagerly returned the kiss. Maura was so overwhelmed with uncontrollable ecstasy as she felt Jane squeezing her breast. She had never felt so wild in her life.

Thighs slipped between legs and they soon began to slowly rock their hips against each other. With each thrust they both gasped.

"Uh…" Jane moaned as pleasure shot through her core.

They began to move a bit faster, breathing heavily and finding a rhythm; losing themselves in each other. But something wasn't right. Maura frowned in confusion when a scent hit her nose. Was she imagining things?

"Jane?" she breathed. "Do you smell something?"

The brunette buried her face against the side of Maura's neck and inhaled deeply. "Only you, baby…" she whispered.

Maura felt Jane's wet tongue lightly run against her skin and her mouth hung open with a gasp. "Oh, God…" she breathed.

The scent from before suddenly hit her again. This definitely what she thought it was. "Jane, wait. You really don't smell that?"

Jane leaned up, stopping her assault. "I don't smell anything," she said a little frustrated.

"I smell smoke."

Jane furrowed her brows and sat back, moving herself off the blonde's body. She took a big inhale through her nose and this time she did smell smoke. "Oh, shit. The cookies!" She shrieked.

She shot up from the couch and took off down the hallway. Maura followed not too far behind. When Jane reached the kitchen, the large room was definitely smokey. Jane grabbed the oven mitten and yanked the oven door open. More smoke escaped the oven and filled the room.

Maura coughed lightly as she entered the kitchen and saw Jane tossing the baking sheet on the counter. The cookies were definitely goners. Suddenly, the smoke detectors loudly sounded through the house and Maura covered her ears.

With the oven mitten still in hand, Jane hopped onto the counter and began to fan the mitten in front of the loudly chirping detector. "Maura open all the windows and doors in the kitchen!" Jane shouted.

Maura quickly complied and within thirty seconds the chirping stopped.

"Phew!" Jane exhaled before climbing off the counter.

Maura came over to her with a small smile. "Well, you seemed to know exactly what to do in this situation."

"It's happened a lot at my house. You have no idea how many things I've burnt in my lifetime," Jane smiled.

They both looked at the charred and blackened chunks on the cookie sheet that still had small trails of smoke coming off of them.

"So, much for dessert."

"I must forgotten to set a cook time for them," Maura regrettably said, placing her hands on her hips.

"It happens. No biggie."

"We have ice cream!" Maura announced with a bright smile.

"What kind?"

"There are several choices; sherbet, metropolitan, rocky road…"

"Sold," Jane cut in.

After eating their dessert, they settled themselves in the den and snuggled next to each other on the couch. Maura agreed to watch the DVD Jane brought over called, Die Hard. The blonde had never seen it of course, but was willing to humor the brunette. It was this or her documentary on a Native American tribe.

As they watched the film they stretched out on the couch and spooned. Jane wrapped and around Maura's waist and held her close. The movie went on for an hour or so and Maura closed her eyes in content. She was not necessarily tired. She was just savoring the feel of Jane's arms around her.

* * *

"Maura! Maura wake up!"

The blonde was shaken from her sleep and quickly opened her eyes. Constance was standing over her in the dimly lit room. "Wha… what's going on?" She was on the couch, in the den where she and Jane had been watching the movie. She must have fallen asleep, but where was Jane?

"There's been an accident. It's Jane."

Maura's heart stopped and she quickly sat up, looking at her mother. "An accident? How? Where is Jane? She was just here."

Constance looked at her confused. "No darling. Jane went home with her brothers and friends after your little pool party."

Maura's brain felt like a jumbled mess. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "That can't be. You're… you're supposed to be out of town."

"I have been home for two days," she replied. "Darling, we must go. Lars is taking us to the hospital now."

"Hospital?" Maura questioned, standing to her feet in a panic. "Jane. Is she… is Jane okay?"

"I'm not sure," Constance shook her head sadly. "I was just on the phone with her father. He sounded rather distraught."

"I have to see her, mother," she said, nearly on the brink of tears.

"I know."

Suddenly, they were rushing through the automatic sliding doors of the hospital, entering the emergency room waiting area. Maura was the first to reach the counter at the reception.

"I'm looking for Rizzoli. Jane Rizzoli!" Maura rushed out.

"Maura!" A voice called to her.

Maura whipped around to see Frankie and Tommy heading over to her. Behind them in the distance was Angela and Frank Sr. sitting in waiting room chairs, holding each other.

"Frankie, where's Jane? How is she?"

She could see on both Tommy and Frankie's faces they had been crying.

"We don't know. They took her in for surgery."

"She was real banged up," Tommy's voice strained, tears fell from his eyes. Frankie placed his arm around his little brother for comfort.

Maura's heart tightened with fear and heartbreak. Jane couldn't be hurt. She couldn't be. But this was real. This was actually happening.

A doctor entered the room and asked who was there for Jane Rizzoli. Maura and the Rizzoli family quickly gathered around him.

"We did everything we could… but I'm afraid we've lost her."

Maura's heart and soul plummeted at the doctors words. She watched the chaos around her as Angela fell to her knees and her two boys and husband tried to console her. Tears and moans of agony falling from their lips.

"No…" Maura shook her head in disbelief. "No, no, no…" her voice strained.

Suddenly everything was moving in slow motion and the room seemed to be spinning. Then she was running. Running as fast as she could down the icy sidewalks of Boston. Puffs of her breath was visible in the cool night air and her boots sloshed loudly through the snow. When she could run no longer, she collapsed onto her knees and slouched over, covering her face in her hands. She may have run away, but it did not change her reality. Jane was gone.

"Jane!" She shouted at the dark sky.

"Maura…"

It was Jane's voice. The blonde looked around, bewildered.

"Maura." The voice was firmer.

Hazel eyes shot open, dazed and confused. Maura took in her surroundings. She was back in the den, lying on the couch. She then felt a hand gently shaking her shoulder and the warmth of a body behind her. Maura quickly faced the voice calling to her and saw Jane looking down at her with worried eyes.

"Maura, you okay? I think you were having a nightmare."

The blonde gasped and tears formed in her eyes. "Jane? Jane, are you really here?" she whispered.

Worry etched Jane's features and she ran her thumb against Maura's cheek. "I'm really here. What happened?"

Maura's eyes sprang tears of sadness masked with relief. "You died. You left me..."

"Oh...no," Jane gently spoke. "I'm not dead, Maur. I'm right here with you."

Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's neck and held onto her for dear life. "It still hurts. It felt so real," Maura cried.

"It wasn't, baby. I'm here."

"Please. Please don't ever leave me."

Jane was amazed by how scared and shaken Maura was by her dream. Though it was clearly a drastic way for it to happen, this event clearly showed how much Maura cared for her.

"I won't. I promise."

As the blonde cried harder in her arms, Jane felt tears of her own begin. If she had a dream of Maura dying she would no doubt be in the same way. Maura ended up meaning so much to her so fast. It was scary. When Maura's tears abated, Jane suggested they go up to bed. Maura silently nodded in agreement and they stood from the couch. Hand in hand, they walked all the way up to Maura's bedroom.

After prepping for bed; Maura in her silk night gown and Jane in a tank top and boxers, they climbed under the sheets. Jane was on her back and opened her left arm out for Maura to snuggle up against her side. The blonde rested her head on Jane's shoulder and closed her eyes as the brunette held her close. Jane was here. She was safe. She was whole.

"You okay?" A gently raspy voice asked.

Maura tightened her arm around Jane's waist and snuggled closer. "I'm better," she whispered.

They were silent for several minutes, content in having each other in this precious moment.

"I love you," Jane gently spoke. She turned her head slightly and placed a soft kiss on Maura's head. "I love you so much, Maur."

The blonde had never felt so overwhelmed with love in her whole life. She actually felt her entire body tingle when Jane said those three words. Suddenly, she leaned up and looked down at the girl she loved. Jane's caring brown eyes stared back at her and Maura could truly see the genuineness being directed at her and only her. Something inside of Maura wanted to reach out in to her the ultimate capacity and show Jane how much she truly loved her.

As they continued to stare, Jane softly smiled at her and reached up, cupping the blonde's face. As a rough thumb gently ran over her cheek, Maura's resolve broke.

She connected their lips in a kiss that was gentle yet aggressive at the same time. She had never felt more sure of herself and her actions. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty and Jane could feel that as Maura continued to passionately kiss her. The blonde moved her body on top of Jane's and they both gasped at the contact… the warmth… the sensuality.

Jane allowed Maura to take control as the heated kissing continued. Maura's tongue was on a mission as it explored every inch of Jane's mouth and the brunette was right there with her. Meeting her with every lick and every stroke.

They both knew what they wanted. They both knew what was about to happen. It was the inevitable moment that was beyond their teenage hormonal control.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I did stop there. You know I want you guys to come back for more! Thoughts?**


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